Table 2.
Growth indexes (weight, height, and head circumference) of the preterm infants in the two groups at admission day in NICU, and one, two, three, and six months of age
| Growth indexes | Admission day in NICU | First month | Second month | Third month | Sixth month | Repeated measures ANCOVA† | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean±SD | Mean±SD | Mean±SD | Mean±SD | Mean±SD | |||
| Between groups | Within groups | ||||||
| Weight |
F=2.24 P=0.14 |
F=16.32 P<0.0001 |
|||||
| Intervention group | 1860.0± 560.35 |
2412.3± 724.71 |
4178.3± 581.3 |
4323.7± 863.84 |
7207.3± 1129.74 |
||
| Control group | 2050.7± 221.10 |
2498.3± 530.04 |
3131.0± 635.50 |
3976.9± 822.09 |
6366.7± 922.26 |
||
| Between group analysis, P | t=1.73, P=0.08 | t=0.52, P=0.60 | t=-0.98, P=0.33 | t=-1.57, P=0.12 | t=-3.05, P=0.03* | ||
| Head circumference |
F=0.16 P=0.86 |
F=0.58 P=0.44 |
|||||
| Intervention group | 30.03± 1.92 |
32.31± 2.23 |
33.84± 2.30 |
35.75± 2.38 |
40.37± 3.45 |
||
| Control group | 30.43± 1.67 |
32.83± 2.03 |
34.60± 2.43 |
36.46± 2.75 |
40.17± 3.18 |
||
| Between group analysis, P | t=0.86, P=0.39 | t=0.93, P=0.35 | t=0.98, P=0.33 | t=0.74, P=0.46 | t=-0.22, P=0.82 | ||
| Height |
F=1.56 P=0.21 |
F=0.002 P=0.98 |
|||||
| Intervention group | 41.63± 7.22 |
44.69± 7.69 |
47.31± 7.91 |
51.23± 8.07 |
60.02± 7.45 |
||
| Control group | 44.30± 5.42 |
46.23± 3.27 |
49.70± 4.45 |
53.55± 4.78 |
62.27± 6.34 |
||
| Between group analysis, P | t=1.61, P=0.11 | t=0.98, P=0.32 | t=1.43, P=0.15 | t=1.33, P=0.18 | t=1.20, P=0.23 | ||
*Significant, †Gestational age, and parental’ age and educational status were considered as covariates.