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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Laboratory tests and measurements in children born small for gestational age (SGA)
Caterina Geremia1, Stefano Cianfarani
1Rina Balducci Center of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Public Health and Cell Biology, Room E-178, Tor Vergata University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Children born small for gestational age (SGA) face higher risks for adult metabolic diseases. Monitoring is recommended for SGA children with genetic predispositions to enable early intervention and reduce cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk for adult metabolic disorders like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
- A significant portion of SGA children (approximately 10%) also experience suboptimal adult height attainment.
- Subtle endocrine and metabolic abnormalities are observed in SGA children across prepubertal, pubertal, and adolescent stages, potentially preceding overt adult disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate markers of metabolic disease in children born small for gestational age (SGA).
- To assess the prevalence of endocrine and metabolic abnormalities in SGA subjects during different developmental stages.
- To determine the necessity for systematic monitoring of specific axes and metabolic parameters in SGA children.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies assessing metabolic disease markers in prepubertal, pubertal, and adolescent SGA children.
- Evaluation of endocrine and metabolic abnormalities.
- Analysis of data on growth, insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism.
Main Results:
- Studies indicate a higher prevalence of subtle endocrine and metabolic abnormalities in SGA children.
- These abnormalities may precede the development of overt metabolic diseases in adulthood.
- Current data are inconclusive regarding the need for systematic, close monitoring of all SGA children.
Conclusions:
- Systematic monitoring of GH-IGF, HPA, and HPG axes, insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism is not conclusively supported for all SGA children.
- Monitoring should likely be reserved for SGA children with a genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
- Early identification of metabolic alterations in at-risk SGA children can prompt preventive interventions, potentially reducing cardiovascular risk.
Abstract:
Children born small for gestational age are at high risk of developing insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. In addition, approximately 10% of SGA children do not achieve a normal adult height. Studies performed in SGA children to evaluate markers of metabolic disease in prepubertal, pubertal and adolescent subjects, indicate a higher prevalence of subtle endocrine and metabolic abnormalities that may precede the onset of overt disease in adulthood. At present, however, there are no conclusive data supporting the need of systematic close monitoring of GH-IGF, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axes, as well as insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism. Monitoring of metabolic parameters should probably be reserved to SGA children with genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia, as early identification of metabolic alterations might prompt effective preventive interventions and, ultimately, reduce cardiovascular risk.
