How much does a child's birthweight influence their growth through childhood?

Children born at a higher birthweight for their gestational age are likely to have a bigger height and weight well into their childhood, according to international research. The team followed the growth trajectories of more than 36,000 babies in Europe and 2500 from elsewhere in the world until they were 10 years old - comparing how their initial birthweight for their gestational age influenced their growth throughout the study. The researchers say babies born with the lowest percentile birthwei