PREDICTIVE FACTORS OF GROWTH AMONG PRETERM NEWBORNS IN THE NEONATAL PERIOD: A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF INTER-PRACTICE-21st FROM URBAN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Purpose: To assess growth patterns and identify predictive factors for postnatal growth failure (PGF) and rapid growth in preterm infants (PTIs) during the neonatal period in Pakistan.Background: Identifying postnatal growth patterns and associated factors during the neonatal period is crucial to improve both short- and long-term outcomes for this at-risk population. Methods: A secondary analysis of PTI growth during the neonatal period utilizing INTERPRACTICE-21st dataset was conducted. Descriptive statistics, and logistic regression were used to identify predictors of growth outcomes. Results: The median gestational age at birth was 32.3 weeks. Static and dynamic PGF were observed in 65% and 83% of PTIs, while static and dynamic rapid growth were found in 7% and 11%, respectively. Higher maternal education was linked to lower odds of static PGF (AOR: 0.81,95% CI: 0.67–0.97). With each one day of delay in oral feeding, the odds of static PGF increased by 1.15 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.31). Preterm infants who were not exclusively breastfed had lower odds of dynamic PGF (AOR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.60) and higher odds of dynamic rapid growth PGF (AOR: 8.47, 95% CI: 1.91, 37.60). Conclusions: There is a high burden of PGF along with a small proportion of rapid growth in the neonatal period of PTIs. Maternal education and infant nutrition may influence growth among PTIs. Implications for practice and research: Larger, multicenter prospective cohort studies are needed to understand the influence of maternal and infant factors on PTI growth outcomes. Key Words: anthropometry, breast milk, growth, neonate, nutrition, preterm infants