SGA
- Small for gestational age
Approximately 5% of all infants are born shorter and/or lighter than normal, regardless of whether or not they are born premature. These infants are considered small for their gestational age (SGA). Although the majority of these children catch up in height to within the normal range during the first 2 years of life, 8 - 10% of short children born SGA fail to exhibit catch-up growth by age 2. If left untreated, these children are likely to remain short throughout adolescence and adulthood.
In the majority of cases, the cause of SGA remains unknown. However, there are also several known causes, including:
- Foetal abnormalities
- Placental insufficiency (i.e. as a result of smoking, drugs, or alcohol)
- Maternal factors (i.e., cardiovascular disease, multiple birth pregnancy)
The growth hormone status of children born SGA varies from normal to deficient and it is thought that decreased growth is due to insensitivity to the body’s own growth hormone and/or other growth factors. Growth hormone therapy is thought to overcome this insensitivity, enabling children to reach their full potential height.
To learn more about SGA and growth hormone therapy, take the interactive, online SGA Tutorial. The SGA Tutorial is an educational resource for health care professionals. It has been developed by Novo Nordisk with instruction by Peter Clayton, Professor of Child Health and Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.
To take the tutorial, click here
