[126 small gestational age infants. Clinical characteristics and long-term observation].

From January 1, 1987 through June 30, 1990, 126 infants of small gestational age (SGA) born in our hospital were studied prospectively. The incidence of SGA infant > or = 37 weeks was 71.4%. The incidence of very low birth weight infants was only 6.3%. The incidence of birth asphyxia in this group (14.9%) was 3 times higher than that in full term infants; this incidence showed negative correlation with gestational age and birth weight. The morbidity rates of hypoglycemia (25.7%) and polycythemia (10.1%) were much higher than those in AGA infants. Malformation was the major cause of death in SGA infants. The mortality rate of SGA infant was 5.6% and the mortality rate of SGA infant > or = 37 weeks was only 1.1%. The results of follow-up showed that the physical development was normal in about 90% of cases at 2 years of age, and only 2 cases had low motor development scale when they were one-year old.