Objective：To review the phenomenon of extrauterine growth retardation（EUGR） and to analyze its risk causing factors a－mong very low birth weight infants（VLBWI）. Methods：A retrospective review was conducted for hospitalized premature infants from September 2009 to June 2011 in neonatal intensive care unit in the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Inclusion criteria：birth weight <1 500 g，admission time <24 h，hospital stays ≥14 d and free of congenital anomalies and heredity metabolic diseases which have a bad impact on individual growth and development. Exclusion criteria：hospital stays <14 d，abandoning treat－ment or dying before discharge. Selected infants were divided into EUER group and non-EUGR group. Chi-square test，t-test，rank-sum test and binary logistic regression were adopted for statistical analysis. Results：Among included 87 cases of VLBWI，there were 74 cases（85.1%） of EUGR and 13 cases（14.9%） of non-EUGR. Incidence of intrauterine growth retardation（IUGR） was higher in EUGR group（27.6%） than in non-EUGR group（0%）. Average gestational age，average discharge age，time of returning to birth weight and time of starting enteral nutrition were longer in EUGR group than in non-EUGR group（P<0.05），however discharge oral energy was lower in EUGR group than in non-EUGR group（P<0.05）. According to the logistic regression，risk factors causing EUGR includ－ed：IUGR（OR=0.77），delayed enteral nutrition（OR=12.081），delayed returning to birth weight（OR=48.404）（P<0.05）. Conclusions：IUGR，delayed enteral nutrition and delayed returning to birth weight are risk factors of EUGR among VLBWI.