Growth In the First Year of Life: Effects of Sex and Weight for Gestational Age at Birth

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Abstract
Small-for-dates (SFD, 55), average-for-dates (AFD, 56) and large-for-dates (LFD, 55) babies were weighed and measured at regular intervals from birth to 12 mo. Within the SFD and AFD groups, weight gain was greater for boys than for girls, so that by 1 yr there were highly significant differences between the 2 sexes. Within the LFD group the sex difference was slight at all ages. Gain in length was similar to that for weight within each group, but head circumference showed a different pattern. Absolute increase in head circumference, for boys and girls between birth and 1 yr, was greatest in the SFD group and least in the LFD group. Within all 3 groups, it was greater for boys than girls. By the age of 6 mo., AFD boys had larger heads than LFD girls, and SFD boys had larger heads than AFD girls. At 12 mo., the head-circumference values for LFD girls and SFD boys did not differ significantly.