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Postnatal Assessment of Minipuberty in Indian Preterm and Full-term Male Infants

Vijay Sheker Reddy Danda1, Krishna Reddy Thaduri2, Srinivas Rao Paidipally2

  • 1Department of Endocrinology, Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Secunderabad, Telangana, India. Correspondence to: Dr. Vijay Sheker Reddy Danda, Department of Endocrinology, Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Musheerabad, Secunderabad, Telangana 500003, India. drdvsreddyendo@yahoo.com.

Indian Pediatrics
|March 12, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Indian preterm male infants exhibit elevated urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone during minipuberty, with faster growth in penile length and testicular volume compared to full-term infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Neonatal Physiology
  • Reproductive Health

Background:

  • Minipuberty is a transient phase of elevated gonadotropin and testosterone secretion in early infancy.
  • Preterm infants may experience altered endocrine development compared to full-term infants.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for assessing infant health and development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the timing and magnitude of postnatal urinary gonadotropins and testosterone secretion during minipuberty in Indian preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) male infants.
  • To investigate differences in physical growth parameters, such as stretched penile length (SPL) and testicular volume (TV), between PT and FT infants during this period.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective observational study involving 30 PT and 60 FT male infants.
  • Measurement of urinary luteinizing hormone (LH), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone levels at multiple time points (day 7, 1, 2, 4, and 6 months).
  • Assessment of stretched penile length (SPL) and testicular volume (TV) concurrently with hormone measurements.

Main Results:

  • Preterm infants showed significantly higher urinary LH levels in the first month compared to full-term infants (P < 0.001).
  • Testosterone levels were significantly elevated in PT infants (P < 0.001), accompanied by a greater increase in SPL and TV (P < 0.001) by the first month.
  • Follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were lower in PT infants on day 7 (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Indian preterm male infants demonstrate a more pronounced increase in urinary LH and testosterone during minipuberty.
  • Preterm infants exhibit accelerated physical development of reproductive organs (SPL and TV) during this period.
  • These findings highlight distinct endocrine and growth patterns in preterm male infants during early development.
Abstract

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