Risk factors associated with growth failure in the follow-up of very low birth weight newborns.

Objective: To determine risk factors during neonatal hospital stay and follow-up associated with failure to thrive in the first year of life of very low birth weight newborns.

Methods: Study of preterm very low birth weight newborns followed from 2006 to 2013 in a public institutional hospital program. The study included newborns that attended at least one appointment in each of the three periods: Period I, up to 3 months of corrected age (CA); Period II, 4-6 months of CA; and Period III, 7-12 months of CA.