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Extreme Birth Weight and Metabolic Syndrome in Children

Teofana Otilia Bizerea-Moga1,2, Laura Pitulice3,4, Cristina Loredana Pantea2

  • 1Department XI of Pediatrics-1st Pediatric Discipline, Center for Research on Growth and Developmental Disorders in Children, 'Victor Babeș' University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Sq no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania.

Nutrients
|January 11, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Birth weight (BW) extremes correlate with metabolic syndrome (MetS) components in obese children. While BW impacts triglycerides and insulin resistance, obesity affects hypertension and glucose metabolism, complicating MetS development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Health
  • Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Background:

  • Extreme birth weights (BWs) for gestational age (GA), both small (SGA) and large (LGA), are associated with later health outcomes.
  • The relationship between extreme BW and the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in obese children remains incompletely understood.
  • Understanding these links is crucial for early identification and prevention of cardiometabolic risks in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between extreme birth weight (BW) for gestational age (GA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in obese children.
  • To analyze the distinct and combined influences of BW and obesity on cardiometabolic risk factors from childhood to adolescence.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational study of 535 obese patients (aged 0-18 years).
  • Data collected from January 2015 to December 2019 at a Romanian pediatric hospital.
  • Analysis focused on links between extreme BW, obesity, cardiometabolic risk, and MetS components.

Main Results:

  • Large for gestational age (LGA) infants were more prevalent than small for gestational age (SGA) infants.
  • Birth weight (BW) independently affected triglycerides and insulin resistance.
  • Obesity directly influenced hypertension, impaired glucose metabolism, and hypertriglyceridemia.

Conclusions:

  • Both extreme birth weight (BW) and obesity contribute to metabolic syndrome (MetS) development in children.
  • The independent effects of BW and obesity on MetS components are difficult to disentangle.
  • Further large-scale prospective studies in normal-weight populations are required to clarify these complex relationships.

Keywords:
childrenextreme birth weightgestational agemetabolic syndromeobesity

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