engleski

Birth weight a predictor of age of menarche

Problem statement: Intrauterine events may influence physiological and pathological events in childhood and adulthood, although the mechanisms programming those events are not yet fully explained. Birth weight (BW) is a measurable result of prenatal growth. The question is: do healthy girls with low or high birth weight need special monitoring during puberty? Methods: The study was conducted in Trogir, Croatia, on a sample of 495 healthy girls, with normal family history, born at 37 to 42 weeks’ gestation. The growth and development of the girls was monitored longitudinally in six-month periods from 9 to 16 years of age, with an interview conducted on the age of menarche. Results: There was a very weak link between the age of menarche and BW. The age of menarche is not significantly correlated with the birth length of girls, or with the ponderal index. Conclusion: BW cannot be deemed an isolated predictor of the age of menarche. The value of BW as a predictor of post-natal growth and development should be seen in the wider context of personal and family history, and the social and economic environment in which the girl develops. Girls with low or high BW for their gestational age, on the basis of clinical experience, require greater care so any deviations from the expected pattern of growth and development are noticed in good time.

Menarche; Birth weight

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