Postnatal growth and skeletal maturation of experimental preterm macaques (Macaca nemestrina)

Abstract

The growth and skeletal maturation of nine preterm female pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) obtained by C‐section at ≤155 postconceptional days were followed through six months of age. At C‐section they were of normal size and maturation for gestational age. Compared with 50 normal females born at term (mean = 173 ± 6.4 postconceptional days), preterm infants were also of normal size at term, but delayed in skeletal maturation, requiring about one month to achieve the standard.