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Multiple correlations between cord blood leptin concentration and indices of neonatal growth
Ali Awsat Mellati1, Seideh Mazloomzadeh, Afagh Anjomshoaa
1Zanjan Metabolic Disease Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Insights
Umbilical cord leptin levels correlate with newborn weight and BMI, with higher levels observed in females. This suggests leptin plays a role in fetal growth and may impact infant development.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neonatology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Leptin's role in fetal and neonatal growth is increasingly recognized, suggesting potential links to adult chronic diseases.
- Early-life mechanisms of leptin action are crucial for understanding developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine umbilical cord blood leptin levels in healthy newborns.
- To evaluate the association between cord blood leptin and various newborn growth indices.
Main Methods:
- Study included 200 healthy newborns and their mothers.
- Measured newborn anthropometrics: birth weight, length, head circumference, BMI, and ponderal index.
- Quantified umbilical cord blood leptin using ELISA.
Main Results:
- Positive correlations found between cord leptin and birth weight, neonatal BMI, ponderal index, and gestational age.
- Significantly higher leptin levels were observed in female newborns compared to males.
- Leptin levels correlated with birth weight, umbilical triglyceride, neonatal gender, and delivery method.
Conclusions:
- Umbilical cord leptin concentrations are associated with fetal and newborn weight gain.
- Findings support leptin's significant role in regulating infant growth parameters.
Background And Aims:
The discovery of a role for leptin in controlling fetal and neonatal growth suggests a fetal origin of some adult chronic diseases and has stimulated research into the mechanisms of action of leptin early in life. The aim of this study was to determine umbilical cord blood leptin levels and to evaluate their association with newborn growth indices.
Methods:
Two hundred healthy newborns (89 males, 110 females, and one of undetermined gender; gestational ages ranging from 34-43 weeks) and their healthy mothers were enrolled in this study conducted at Moovsavi Hospital in Zanjan, Iran. The body size index of each newborn was determined in terms of birth weight, birth length, head circumference, body mass index (BMI) and ponderal index. Umbilical cord blood leptin levels were measured by ELISA.
Results:
Umbilical cord leptin concentration was found to positively correlate with birth weight (r=0.322; p<0.0001), neonatal BMI (r=0.247; p<0.0001), ponderal index (r=0.206; p=0.04), and gestational age (r=0.221; p=0.002). There was no significant correlation between cord leptin and birth length or umbilical glucose concentration. Umbilical cord leptin concentrations (15.20+/-12.3 vs. 12.08+/-11.7; p=0.01) were significantly greater in female as compared to male newborns, respectively. Linear regression analysis indicated that umbilical cord leptin levels correlated with birth weight, umbilical triglyceride concentration, neonatal gender, and method of delivery.
Conclusions:
Our findings confirm the association of leptin concentrations with weight gain in fetal and newborn infants.
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