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Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Nutrition, epigenetic markers and growth in preterm infants

Maria Giulia Tozzi1, Francesca Moscuzza1, Angela Michelucci2

  • 1Division of Neonatology and NICU, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Pisa, Italy.

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|December 18, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Reduced protein and lipid intake in newborns is linked to increased IC2 hypermethylation, potentially causing growth inhibition. This epigenetic marker may signal reduced infant growth and inform early nutritional interventions for extrauterine growth restriction.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition and epigenetics
  • Developmental biology
  • Genomic imprinting

Background:

  • Maternal diet and early nutrition impact adult phenotypes.
  • Epigenetic mechanisms are sensitive to the neonatal nutritional environment.
  • The IC2 region on 11p15 controls growth via genes like CDKN1C.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the link between epigenetic markers and infant nutrition.
  • Explore the relationship between nutrition, postnatal growth, and the IC2 region.
  • Identify potential epigenetic markers for early growth assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 37 preterm newborns (<34 weeks gestation).
  • Participants were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital of Pisa.
  • Analysis focused on IC2 methylation in relation to nutrient intake and growth patterns.

Main Results:

  • Reduced protein intake correlated with IC2 hypermethylation (p=.003).
  • Reduced lipid intake correlated with IC2 hypermethylation (p=.001).
  • A correlation between infant growth patterns and IC2 methylation was observed.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced infant growth, linked to lower protein and lipid intake, may stem from IC2 hypermethylation.
  • IC2 hypermethylation could increase expression of growth inhibitor genes.
  • IC2 hypermethylation may serve as a marker for reduced infant growth, guiding nutritional strategies to prevent extrauterine growth restriction.
Abstract

Keywords:
Epigenetic markersnutritionpostnatal growth

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