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Bone mineral content at birth is determined both by birth weight and fetal growth pattern

Jacques Beltrand1, Marianne Alison, Ramona Nicolescu

  • 1INSERM U690, "Hôpital Robert Debré", Paris, FR-75019, France. Jacques.beltrand@rdebre.inserm.fr

Pediatric Research
|April 9, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Fetal growth restriction impacts bone mineral content (BMC) in newborns, even if birth weight is normal. This study reveals that fetal growth patterns, not just birth weight, are key predictors of infant BMC.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal development
  • Pediatric bone health
  • Fetal programming

Background:

  • Adult peak bone mass is linked to birth weight, indicating fetal growth influences bone development.
  • Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns exhibit reduced bone mineral content (BMC).
  • The impact of fetal growth restriction on BMC in adapted-for-gestational-age (AGA) newborns remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the independent roles of birth weight and fetal growth patterns in determining neonatal BMC.
  • To differentiate the effects of SGA and fetal growth restriction (FGR) on BMC.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 185 full-term newborns from SGA high-risk pregnancies was studied.
  • Estimated fetal weight percentiles were tracked monthly from mid-gestation to birth.
  • Fetal growth restriction (FGR) was defined as a percentile loss >20%; BMC was measured at birth via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Main Results:

  • SGA newborns had significantly lower BMC compared to AGA newborns (1.48 vs. 1.87 g/cm).
  • Newborns with FGR showed lower BMC regardless of birth weight status (1.66 vs. 1.89 g/cm).
  • Multivariate analysis identified both FGR and SGA as independent predictors of reduced BMC.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal growth patterns significantly influence neonatal bone mineral content.
  • Reduced BMC is observed in SGA infants and also in AGA infants experiencing FGR.
  • These findings highlight the critical role of fetal growth trajectory in establishing early bone health.

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