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Updated: Aug 2, 2026
12:08
Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
Telomere length in small-for-gestational-age babies
A Akkad1, R Hastings, J C Konje
1Fetal Growth and Development Research Group, Reproductive Science Section, Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, Univerity of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
BJOG : an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
|February 21, 2006
Summary
Small-for-gestational-age newborns do not have shorter telomeres than appropriately grown infants. Intrauterine growth restriction is not linked to increased telomere shortening in newborns.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Perinatology
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Shortened telomeres in adults are linked to cardiovascular disease.
- Telomere length is a biomarker for cellular aging and health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns exhibit shorter telomeres compared to controls.
- To explore the relationship between intrauterine growth and telomere length at birth.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 72 mother-newborn pairs.
- Measurement of maternal and cord blood telomere length using Southern blot analysis.
- Comparison of telomere lengths between SGA infants (≤3rd percentile) and appropriate-for-gestational-age controls (>10th percentile).
Main Results:
- Maternal and newborn telomere lengths were significantly correlated (r2 = 0.25, P < 0.0001).
- No significant difference in mean telomere length was observed between SGA newborns (10.33 ± 1.3 kb) and control newborns (10.36 ± 1.5 kb).
- Maternal telomere lengths were also similar between the SGA (8.29 ± 1.0 kb) and control (8.41 ± 0.9 kb) groups.
Conclusions:
- Impaired fetal growth associated with SGA status does not appear to result in accelerated telomere shortening at birth.
- Findings suggest that intrauterine factors influencing fetal growth may not directly impact telomere length in newborns.
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