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Published on: February 2, 2017

Circulating IGF-I levels in childhood are related to both current body composition and early postnatal growth rate

Ken Ong1, Jurgen Kratzsch, Wieland Kiess

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|March 13, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Rapid infancy growth influences childhood hormone levels. Early growth rates impact Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) and leptin, potentially mediating long-term growth and maturation effects.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Growth and Development Biology
  • Metabolic Health

Background:

  • Rapid infancy growth is a known predictor of childhood obesity and earlier maturation.
  • Hormonal regulation plays a critical role in growth and weight gain during early development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between early growth rates and levels of key hormones (IGF-I, IGF-II, leptin) in 5-year-old children.
  • To determine if infancy growth influences circulating hormone levels that regulate growth and weight.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 497 children from birth to 5 years.
  • Measurement of Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I), Insulin-like Growth Factor-II (IGF-II), and leptin levels at 5 years.
  • Analysis of correlations between hormone levels, birth weight, current weight, height, body composition, and early growth rates (0-2 years).

Main Results:

  • IGF-I levels at 5 years correlated positively with current weight and height, and inversely with birth weight.
  • IGF-I levels were more closely associated with fat-free mass, while leptin and IGF-II were more strongly linked to fat mass.
  • Children exhibiting postnatal catch-up growth showed significantly higher IGF-I levels at 5 years, independent of current body composition.

Conclusions:

  • Infancy growth rates significantly influence circulating IGF-I levels in childhood.
  • IGF-I may mediate the impact of early postnatal nutrition on subsequent growth and maturation rates.
  • Leptin levels at 5 years are primarily associated with current adiposity.

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