Fat distribution in short-stature children born small for gestational age

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Growth and Development
• Body Composition Analysis

Background:

• Children born small for gestational age (SGA) with catch-up growth face increased obesity risk.
• Body composition and fat distribution in SGA children without catch-up growth, especially after growth hormone (GH) treatment, are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate body composition and fat distribution in prepubertal short-stature children born SGA.
• To evaluate the effects of GH treatment on body composition and fat distribution in these children.

Main Methods:

• 27 prepubertal short-stature children born SGA were studied.
• Anthropometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for body composition, and computed tomography for fat distribution were used.
• Measurements were taken before and 1 year after GH treatment.

Main Results:

• Before GH treatment, SGA children exhibited lean phenotypes with lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) than reference values.
• GH treatment increased height standard deviation scores (SDS) but did not affect body mass index SDS or total fat mass.
• Percentage fat mass decreased, while the VAT/SAT ratio significantly increased post-treatment.

Conclusions:

• Short-stature SGA children had VAT and SAT within or below reference ranges before and after GH treatment.
• GH treatment appears to have no adverse effects on adiposity in short-stature SGA children.
• GH treatment may alter fat distribution, specifically increasing the VAT/SAT ratio.