SGA
Also written as: SGA — Small for Gestational Age
Small for gestational age - birth weight and/or length below the 10th percentile for gestational age, often associated with growth concerns.
Full Definition
Small for gestational age (SGA) is a classification for newborns whose birth weight and/or length falls below the 10th percentile for their gestational age. SGA can result from various factors including intrauterine growth restriction, constitutional factors, or maternal conditions. In pediatric endocrinology, SGA is clinically significant because approximately 10-15% of SGA children fail to demonstrate catch-up growth by age 2-4 years and remain short throughout childhood. These children may be candidates for growth hormone therapy if their height remains more than 2.5 standard deviations below the mean after age 4. SGA children are also at increased risk for metabolic complications including insulin resistance and early onset type 2 diabetes.
Usage
Usage note: Always specify the percentile cutoff used (usually 10th percentile); distinguish from general low birth weight.
In Context
- "The patient was born SGA and failed to show catch-up growth by age 4 years." — Growth hormone evaluation
- "SGA children require monitoring for both growth and metabolic outcomes." — Pediatric follow-up plan