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Insulin responses during catch-up growth of infants who were small for gestational age
Insights
Infants small for gestational age exhibit accelerated catch-up growth in the first six months. This growth velocity correlates positively with insulin release, suggesting insulin plays a role in their development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Infants small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk for growth and metabolic complications.
- Understanding their growth patterns and hormonal responses is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the growth characteristics of SGA infants.
- To investigate the relationship between growth velocity and insulin response in SGA infants at six months of age.
Main Methods:
- Studied 15 full-term infants with birth weights more than 2 standard deviations below the mean for gestational age.
- Assessed insulin response via intravenous glucose tolerance test at six months post-birth.
Main Results:
- SGA infants demonstrated faster growth rates compared to appropriate-for-gestational-age infants during the first six months.
- A positive correlation was observed between growth velocity and insulin release.
- Growth velocity showed a negative correlation with birth length, but not with weight gain during the study period.
Conclusions:
- Catch-up growth velocity in SGA infants is linked to the severity of initial growth retardation.
- Insulin appears to play a permissive role in the accelerated growth observed in these infants.
Abstract:
Growth characteristics of 15 full-term infants, selected because of weights more than 2 SD below the mean for gestational age, are described. The response to an intravenous injection of glucose was utilized to measure the insulin response of the infants at 6 months. Infants small for gestational age grow at a faster rate than appropriate-for-age infants during the first six months of life. There was a positive correlation between the growth velocity of the period and insulin release and a negative correlation between growth velocity and birth length. There was no correlation between these variables and increases in weight during the same period. Growth velocity during catch-up growth is related to the degree of preceding retardation but insulin may play a permissive role.