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Published on: July 17, 2018
Cord blood adiponectin and leptin are associated with a lower risk of stunting during infancy
Sangshin Park1,2,3, Zorimel Vargas4,5, Anne Zhao6
1Center for International Health Research, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA. dvm.spark@gmail.com.
Insights
Cord blood adipokines like adiponectin and leptin are linked to infant growth. Higher levels may reduce stunting risk and promote linear growth, but don't impact weight-for-age or weight-for-height. Cognition was unaffected.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Undernutrition causes significant child mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
- Adipokines (e.g., adiponectin, leptin) influence metabolism, growth, and neurocognition in infants.
- Understanding early life hormonal influences is crucial for addressing child growth and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cord blood adiponectin and leptin levels and infant growth and cognition.
- To determine if adipokine levels predict underweight, stunting, or wasting in the first year of life.
- To explore the relationship between these adipokines and infant weight gain and linear growth.
Main Methods:
- Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze data from infants.
- Infant growth was assessed using WHOAnthro software to calculate z-scores (WAZ, HAZ, WHZ).
- Cord blood adiponectin and leptin levels were measured and correlated with growth and cognitive outcomes.
Main Results:
- Adiponectin and leptin levels were positively associated with birth weight-for-age z-score (WAZ).
- Adipokines showed an inverse association with weight gain rate but were linked to a lower risk of stunting in the highest quintile.
- No independent association was found between cord blood adipokines and cognition or other nutritional status indicators (WAZ, WHZ).
Conclusions:
- Cord blood adipokines may play a role in promoting linear growth during infancy.
- The inverse association with weight gain might reflect initial nutritional status rather than a direct hormonal effect.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the role of adipokines in infant growth trajectories.
Abstract:
Undernutrition is responsible for up to 45% of deaths in children under five, with low- and middle-income countries disproportionately affected. Adipokines are known modulators of metabolism and have been linked to growth rates and neurocognition during infancy. We examined the relationship(s) between cord blood adiponectin and leptin and both longitudinal growth and cognition during the first year of life using generalized estimating equations. Infants were classified as underweight (weight-for-age z-score [WAZ]), stunted (height-for-age z-score [HAZ]) or wasted (weight-for-height z-score [WHZ]) using WHOAnthro software. Cord blood adiponectin and leptin levels were highly correlated (r = 0.35, P < 0.0001) and positively associated with birth WAZ (r = 0.34 and r = 0.45, P < 0.0001, respectively). Adipokines were independently, inversely associated with weight gain. Infants in the highest quintile of adipokine production had a lower risk of being stunted, while neither was associated with lower WAZ or WHZ in final adjusted models. Cognition was not found to be independently related to cord blood leptin or adiponectin. The negative association with adipokines and rate of weight gain during infancy may reflect heightened nutritional status at birth rather than a direct hormonal influence. The relationship between leptin or adiponectin and longitudinal length gains suggests that both adipokines may promote linear growth during infancy.
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