children s health issues
Small for Gestational Age (SGA) Newborns
Prognosis for SGA Newborns
Prognosis varies greatly depending on what caused the infant to be small for gestational age and whether complications developed. Infants who have a moderately low birthweight usually do well unless they have an infection, genetic disorder, or birth asphyxia. Most catch up their growth during the first year of life and have a normal adult height. Infants who are particularly small because of illness in the mother are at risk of complications but usually do well. Some small babies remain small as adults and others are within the normal range. Infants whose growth was restricted because their mother used alcohol while pregnant are likely to have long-term developmental and behavioral problems (see also Alcohol ). The outcome for SGA infants exposed to illicit drugs during pregnancy is complicated. It is difficult to predict the prognosis because pregnant people who use illicit drugs often have other social and economic problems that affect their child's development. 