Related Experiment Videos
Hypersomatotropism in the dysmature infant at term and preterm birth
F de Zegher1, J Kimpen, J Raus
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Leuven, Belgium.
Insights
Growth hormone (GH) levels are higher in infants who are small for their gestational age at birth. This finding supports GH
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neonatal Medicine
- Fetal Development
Background:
- Fetal growth is influenced by various factors, including hormonal regulation.
- Growth hormone (GH) plays a critical role in postnatal growth and metabolism.
- Understanding fetal GH levels can provide insights into intrauterine growth patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between fetal Growth Hormone (GH) concentrations and infant size at birth.
- To examine GH levels in both term and preterm infants categorized by size for gestational age.
- To explore the homeostatic role of GH in the late-gestational human fetus.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of Growth Hormone (GH) concentrations in cord serum.
- Analysis of infants born at term (38-42 weeks) and preterm (28-36 weeks).
- Categorization of infants into small, appropriate, and large for gestational age groups.
Main Results:
- Significantly elevated cord serum GH levels were observed in small for gestational age (SGA) infants.
- This elevation was consistent in both term and preterm SGA infants.
- Appropriate and large for gestational age infants did not show elevated GH levels.
Conclusions:
- Elevated fetal GH in SGA infants suggests a compensatory mechanism.
- GH's insulin-antagonizing action supports its role in regulating fetal substrate utilization.
- These findings reinforce the homeostatic function of GH during late gestation.
Abstract:
Growth hormone (GH) concentrations were measured in cord serum of small (less than 2.4 kg), appropriate (3.4 +/- 0.1 kg) and large (greater than 4.4 kg) infants born at term (38-42 weeks), and in cord serum of prematurely born twins (28-36 weeks) which were either appropriate (greater than P10) or small (less than P10) for gestational age. Cord serum GH levels were found to be significantly elevated in small for gestational age infants, both at term and preterm birth. In view of the insulin-antagonizing action of fetal GH, these results further support a homeostatic function for GH in the late-gestational human fetus.