Table 1.
General characteristics of the two groups of mothers and infants.
| Study Population | Preterm | Term | p-Value * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mothers (drop outs) | N = 27 (2) | N = 34 (2) | |
| Age (years) | 32.4 ± 5.6 | 31.2 ± 4.2 | 0.3173 |
| BMI before pregnancy (Kg/m2) | 22.8 ± 3.3 | 23.2 ± 4.9 | 0.6990 |
| BMI at child birth (Kg/m2) | 25.8 ± 3.7 | 26.9 ± 4.7 | 0.3141 |
| Delivery type: caesarean (%) | 63 | 23.5 | 0.0019 |
| Infants | N = 33 | N = 34 | |
| Gestational age at birth (weeks) | 30.8 ± 1.4 | 39.5 ± 1.0 | <0.0001 |
| Males (%) | 54.5 | 52.9 | 0.8952 |
| Twins (%) | 36.4 | 0.0 | 0.0001 |
| Height (cm) | 40.4 ± 3.2 | 49.4 ± 1.7 | <0.0001 |
| Weight (g) | 1421.4 ± 372.8 | 3277.6 ± 353.6 | <0.0001 |
| Head circumference (cm) | 27.8 ± 2.1 | 34.4 ± 1.5 | <0.0001 |
* t-test and Fisher test of proportions were used for the comparison of continuous and discrete variables, respectively.