Effects of birth size, post-natal growth and current size on insulin resistance in 9-year-old children: a prospective...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Metabolic Health
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Prenatal conditions can influence later type 2 diabetes risk factors, including insulin resistance (IR).
• Postnatal growth trajectory may mediate the effects of prenatal influences on IR.
• Understanding early growth patterns is crucial for predicting future metabolic health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between body size at birth and age 9 with insulin resistance (IR) at age 9.
• To explore the role of postnatal growth trajectory in mediating the relationship between early body size and later IR.
• To examine potential interactions between birth size and childhood growth on IR development.

Main Methods:

• Prospective Australian cohort study.
• Analysis of body size z-scores (weight or BMI) at birth and age 9.
• Insulin resistance (IR) estimated using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) at age 9 in 151 children.

Main Results:

• Higher BMI z-score at age 9 was positively associated with IR.
• Birth BMI z-score showed an inverse association with IR only after adjusting for age 9 BMI z-score, suggesting accelerated growth's impact.
• A significant interaction between birth and age 9 BMI z-scores was observed, with potential inverse association between body size at 3.5 years and HOMA-IR at 9 years.

Conclusions:

• Early life growth, from birth to age 9, is important for later insulin resistance.
• Accelerated growth between birth and age 9 may influence insulin resistance.
• The specific growth period around 3.5 years warrants further investigation for its impact on HOMA-IR at age 9.