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Updated: May 30, 2025

Determination of Reproductive Competence by Confirming Pubertal Onset and Performing a Fertility Assay in Mice and Rats
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Associations of fetal and infant growth with pubertal timing

Sophia Blaauwendraad1,2, Romy Gaillard1,2, Romy Gonçalves1,2

  • 1Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|January 29, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Fetal and infant growth impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, influencing pubertal development. This study found birth weight and early growth are linked to pubertal timing and development in a sex-specific manner.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Endocrinology
  • Pediatric Growth

Background:

  • Impaired fetal and infant growth can alter the developmental programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
  • This axis is crucial for regulating pubertal development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between fetal and infant growth patterns and subsequent pubertal development.
  • To determine if these associations are sex-specific.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based prospective birth cohort study was conducted in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
  • Fetal weight was estimated via ultrasound; infant growth was tracked using birth weight and weight at 6, 12, and 24 months.
  • Pubertal timing was assessed through skeletal age, testicular/ovarian volumes, age at menarche, and Tanner staging.

Main Results:

  • In girls, higher birth weight correlated with larger ovarian volume and later menarche. Increased infant growth was linked to older skeletal age, earlier menarche, and advanced breast/pubic hair development.
  • In boys, increased infant growth was associated with older skeletal age, larger testicular volume, and advanced pubic hair development.

Conclusions:

  • Birth anthropometrics and early-life growth patterns are significantly associated with pubertal development.
  • These associations manifest in a sex-specific manner, highlighting the importance of early growth for reproductive health.
Abstract

Keywords:
EndocrinologyGrowthInfant Development

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