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Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Childhood
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Cord Leptin is Associated with Neuropsychomotor Development in Childhood

Polyxeni Karakosta1,2, Katerina Margetaki1, Eleni Fthenou3

  • 1Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|September 4, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Cord leptin levels impact child development. Higher levels correlate with better gross motor skills at 18 months but may hinder cognitive development later in childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Leptin is crucial for central nervous system development and maturation.
  • Understanding leptin's role in early life is key to identifying potential developmental influences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between cord leptin levels and neuropsychomotor development in children from 18 months to 6 years.
  • To evaluate leptin's regulatory role in neurodevelopmental trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study of 424 mother-child pairs (Rhea Study, Crete, Greece).
  • Cord leptin levels were measured, and neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed at 18 months, 4 years, and 6 years using standardized tests.
  • Multivariable linear regression models analyzed the associations between cord leptin and developmental scores.

Main Results:

  • Each 10-ng/mL increase in cord leptin was linked to improved gross motor scores at 18 months (β=3.8).
  • Higher cord leptin was associated with lower scores in general cognitive performance, perceptual performance, working memory, and executive function at 4 years.
  • A significant decrease in Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices scores was observed at 6 years with increased cord leptin (β=-3.7).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated cord leptin levels are associated with enhanced gross motor development in infancy.
  • However, higher cord leptin may be linked to diminished cognitive performance during early and middle childhood.
Abstract

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