Anthropometry, glucose homeostasis, and lipid profile in prepubertal children born early, full, or late term

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Neonatal Medicine
• Growth and Development

Background:

• Understanding the long-term effects of gestational age on child development is crucial.
• Preterm birth and post-term birth are associated with various health risks.
• The metabolic and growth profiles of children born at the cusp of term ranges require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in anthropometry, body composition, and metabolic health in prepubertal children based on their gestational age at birth.
• To compare children born early term, full term, and late term.
• To identify potential long-term health implications associated with birth timing around term.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 294 prepubertal children (aged 7.3 years).
• Children categorized into early term (37–38 weeks), full term (39–40 weeks), and late term (41 weeks).
• Clinical assessments included anthropometry, DXA body composition, fasting lipids, and glucose homeostasis, with statistical adjustments for confounding factors.

Main Results:

• Late term infants had higher adjusted birth weight standard deviation scores (SDS) compared to early and full term infants.
• Early term children were shorter, but this difference diminished after adjusting for parental height.
• No significant differences were observed in glucose homeostasis, BMI SDS, adiposity, fat distribution, or lipid profiles among the groups.

Conclusions:

• Adjusted for confounding factors, gestational age at birth (early, full, or late term) does not appear to significantly influence prepubertal children's anthropometry, glucose homeostasis, or lipid profiles.
• While minor differences in birth weight and height were noted, they were largely explained by other factors.
• The findings suggest that birth timing around term may not have lasting metabolic or growth consequences in childhood.