pediatrics
Small for Gestational Age (SGA) Infant
Key Points
Infants whose weight is<the 10th percentile for gestational age are small for gestational age (SGA). Disorders early in gestation cause symmetric growth restriction, in which height, weight, and head circumference are about equally affected. Disorders late in gestation cause asymmetric growth restriction, in which weight is most affected, with relatively normal growth of the brain, cranium, and long bones. Although small, SGA infants do not have the complications related to organ system immaturity that preterm infants of similar size have. Complications are mainly those of the underlying cause but generally also include perinatal asphyxia, meconium aspiration, hypoglycemia, polycythemia, and hypothermia. 