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Bone maturation in extremely low birth weight infants in relation to birth weight and endocrine parameters

Sonja Stutte1, Joachim Woelfle, Marc Born

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Bonn, Adenauerallee 119, 53113 Bonn, Germany.

European Journal of Pediatrics
|March 12, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Bone maturation in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) children is often abnormal, correlating with height, weight, and metabolic factors like IGFBP-1. This may indicate future insulin resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Skeletal Biology

Background:

  • Improved survival rates for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are noted.
  • Previous research linked abnormal birth parameters to endocrine issues.
  • The impact on childhood bone maturation in ELBW survivors was unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate bone maturation in children born with extremely low birth weight.
  • To explore correlations between bone age and anthropometric/metabolic factors.
  • To assess potential early indicators of insulin resistance in ELBW survivors.

Main Methods:

  • Studied ELBW children (mean chronological age 6.01 years).
  • Assessed skeletal maturation using Greulich and Pyle method.
  • Defined bone age (BA) as retarded or accelerated relative to chronological age (CA).
  • Analyzed correlations with BMI, height SDS, androgens, and IGFBP-1.

Main Results:

  • Bone age was retarded or accelerated in 24.6% of ELBW children.
  • Discordant bone age was observed in 34.4%, with a gender difference.
  • Bone age correlated significantly with BMI and height SDS.
  • Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) showed a negative correlation with bone age.

Conclusions:

  • Bone maturation in ELBW children is linked to height and weight.
  • Metabolic factors, including IGFBP-1 and androgens, modulate bone maturation.
  • Bone age, alongside growth catch-up, may predict future insulin resistance in ELBW survivors.

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