Background/Objectives: Extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) is associated with high mortality and an increased incidence of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. In this study, we aimed to compare the Intergrowth-21
ST (IG-21
ST) and Fenton charts in predicting long-term neurodevelopmental and anthropometric outcomes of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
Methods: Data were collected from 2649 VLBW infants registered in the Korean Neonatal Network born between 24
0/7 and 31
6/7 weeks of gestational age from January 2013 to December 2017. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 18–24 months of age, corrected for prematurity. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between EUGR and long-term outcomes.
Results: Among the 2649 VLBW infants, 60.0% (1606/2649) and 36.9% (977/2649) were diagnosed as having EUGR defined by the Fenton chart (EUGR
F) and by the IG-21
ST chart (EUGR
IG), respectively. The EUGR
IG group exhibited a higher proportion of infants with cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI), and growth failure. In multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusted for risk factors for long-term outcome, the EUGR
IG group showed higher risk of cerebral palsy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–2.65), NDI (aOR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.71–2.55), and growth failure (aOR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.16–2.13). Infants with EUGR
F tended to develop NDI (aOR, 1.29; 95%CI, 1.03–1.63) and experience growth failure (aOR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.77–3.40).
Conclusions: The IG-21
ST chart demonstrated a more effective prediction of long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, whereas the Fenton chart may be more suitable for predicting growth failure at 18–24 months.
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