Visfatin as a predictor for growth of fetus and infant

Visfatin is an adipocytokine that functions as an enzyme and a growth factor to investigate the relationship between serum visfatin and the fetus's anthropometric markers up to a year after birth.

Forty-one eligible pregnant women in their first trimester were divided and matched in terms of body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy into normal and higher than normal BMI groups, A and B. Serum visfatin levels were measured during 6-12 and 15-20 weeks of gestation using ELISA.

The infants were followed up for a mean duration of 10.19±2.83 months. In group A, there was a strong positive relationship between birth head circumference and the first (p₁=0.054, r₁=0.580) and second trimester visfatin levels (p₂=0.051, r₂=0.530). In group B, second trimester visfatin levels correlated negatively with birth length (p=0.015, r=-0.523) and infant's head circumference (p₂=0.050, r₂=-0.392). In a separate study on group B, visfatin levels in the first and second trimesters showed a significant negative correlation with infant's weight. A significant correlation was observed between the first and second trimesters visfatin level with infant's height in both groups, such that this relationship was positive in group A and negative in group B. Linear regression analysis revealed that first and second trimester visfatin levels were significant independent predictors of infant's weight in group B and infant's height in both groups. Second trimester visfatin level was a significant predictor of birth height in group B.

Maternal serum visfatin level shows a relationship with fetal and infant anthropometric indicators, with different effects in the two groups, suggesting visfatin dysfunction in the overweight group before pregnancy.