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Prematurity and programming: contribution of neonatal Intensive Care Unit interventions.
S C Kalhan1, D Wilson-Costello2
11 Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
|July 24, 2014
Summary
Premature birth and neonatal interventions may program long-term health by affecting one-carbon metabolism. Accelerated infant growth further compounds these risks for non-communicable diseases.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Developmental programming
- Metabolic health
Background:
- Improved survival rates for premature infants are leading to more adults with potential long-term health risks.
- Limited data exist on the link between neonatal events and adult non-communicable diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity, and neonatal interventions may program adult non-communicable diseases.
- To investigate the role of one-carbon metabolism in these programming effects.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical and experimental data on redox injury, nutritional interventions, and glucocorticoid effects.
- Analysis of factors correlating with insulin sensitivity in older age.
Main Results:
- Premature birth is a major contributor to later insulin sensitivity issues, compounded by infant weight gain.
- Perturbations in one-carbon metabolism are implicated in developmental programming.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal interventions and premature birth may program long-term health via one-carbon metabolism.
- These effects can be additive to intrauterine growth restriction and influenced by early infant growth.
