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[Effect of prematurity on fat mass distribution and blood pressure at prepubertal age: a follow-up study]
P Piemontese1, N Liotto, F Garbarino
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Department of Clinical Science and Comunity Health, Fondazione IRCCS "Ca' Granda" Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Via Commenda 12, 20122 Milan, Italy. piementesepasquina@libero.it
Insights
Children born preterm exhibit increased truncal adiposity and higher diastolic pressure by prepubertal age. These findings suggest potential long-term health risks, including metabolic syndrome, necessitating further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Neonatology
- Metabolic Health
Context:
- Infants born preterm are at risk for altered body composition and metabolic syndrome.
- Longitudinal follow-up is crucial to understand the long-term health implications of preterm birth.
Purpose:
- To assess body composition and blood pressure in preterm-born children up to prepubertal age.
- To compare growth, adiposity, and blood pressure between preterm and term-born children.
Summary:
- Preterm infants had lower birth weight and length but higher fat mass at term corrected age.
- At 5 years, preterm children were shorter and lighter, with increased skinfold thicknesses indicating greater truncal adiposity.
- Higher diastolic blood pressure was observed in the preterm group at 5 years.
Impact:
- Preterm birth is associated with altered body composition, specifically increased truncal adiposity.
- Elevated diastolic pressure in preterm children may indicate future cardiovascular risks.
- Findings highlight the need for monitoring metabolic health in children born preterm.
Objectives:
Preterm infants may develop altered adiposity, a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. The aim was to evaluate if body composition and blood pressure were altered in a cohort of children born preterm followed up to prepubertal age.
Methods:
Observational, longitudinal, explorative study. Forty children born preterm underwent growth and body composition assessment by an air displacement plethysmography system at term c.a. and at 5 years. BMI, skinfold thicknesses and blood pressure were further measured at 5 years. Inclusion criteria were birth weight <1500 g and gestational age <32 weeks. Exclusion criteria were congenital/chromosomal or surgical diseases. Forty-three healthy children born at term were the reference group.
Results:
At term c.a. preterm children were lighter (2455 +/- 484 g vs 3247 +/- 345 g; p<0.001) and shorter (45.6 +/- 3.4 cm vs 49.1 +/- 2.3 cm; p<0.001) than children born at term and their fat mass was higher (14.8% vs 8.6%; p=0.02). At 5 years of life, weight and height of children born preterm were lower than those of their counterpart (18.328 +/- 3.01 vs 20.302 +/- 3.01 g; p=0.008 and 109.7 +/- 6.5 vs 112.7 +/- 4.3 cm; p=0.02, respectively). No difference in percentage of fat mass was detected. Abdominal, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds (mm) were larger in the preterm group (6.9 +/- 3.6 vs 5.3 +/- 2.8, p=0.002; 6.5 +/- 2.8 vs 5.0 +/- 1.6, p=0,01 and 11.8 +/- 4.3 vs 9.3 +/- 3.8, p=0,01, respectively). Diastolic pressure (mmHg) was higher in the preterm group (62.2 vs 57.5, p=0.01).
Conclusions:
At prepubertal age children born preterm tend towards a greater truncal adiposity and increased values of diastolic pressure which might have adverse consequences for later health.
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