Peptide hormones in infants with feeding disorders

The prevalence of eating problems in otherwise healthy infants is a common problem in Western countries. Peptide hormones such as adiponectin, ghrelin and resistin have been shown to play an important role in the regulation of satiety and hunger in several diseases and states. The aim of this study was to evaluate the peptide hormone levels in children with eating problems. In this study, 12 otherwise healthy infants (mean age 10.4 months) with eating problems and 12 healthy controls were studied. At their first hospital visit samples for analysis of adiponectin, ghrelin and resistin were obtained and a careful physical examination was carried out. To exclude any possible anatomic or metabolic reason for eating problems necessary investigations were also performed. Adiponectin levels were significantly higher in the cases than in the controls (p = 0.033), and the difference was still significant after adjustment for weight (p < 0.05). Resistin and ghrelin concentrations showed no significant differences. Conclusions. For the first time we were able to show in this pilot study that adiponectin concentrations were elevated in the infants with eating problems. Cross-sectional association does not necessarily imply causal relationship. Thus, further studies with larger number of cases will be needed to clarify the role of adiponectin in the eating problems in infants.