INFANTS WITH LOW RATE OF WEIGHT GAIN

Abstract

To evaluate the clinical significance of low rate of weight gain, 81 infants were investigated with a deviation of weight corresponding to a decrease of .gtoreq. 1 SD score of weight attained in the current Swedish growth chart. In 28 patients this decrease was of organic origin, notably intestinal disease. Three different growth variables were compared as follows: attained weight (transformed to SD score), change in SD score of attained weight per time unit (= rate of change of deviation in SD score per yr) and rate of weight gain in kg per yr (transformed to SD score). Of 28 infants with organic disease, 22 had a subnormal rate of weight gain; only 12 attained subnormal weight for age. The use of weight gain is the most sensitive growth variable and is far better than the use of attained weight as an indicator of ill health. Change in SD score of attained weight for screening purposes gives good agreement with rate of weight gain, provided that age is taken into account.