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Metabolic correlates of behaviour in the newborn infant
G Marchini1, B Persson, K Uvnäs-Moberg
1Department of Pediatrics KS-St. Göran, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Insights
Newborn infants
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Developmental neuroscience
Background:
- Early infant behavior, including alertness and sucking, is crucial for development.
- Understanding the metabolic and hormonal factors influencing these behaviors is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between plasma glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and free fatty acids (FFA) and newborn behavior.
- To explore the potential role of these factors in regulating infant wakefulness, sucking, and sleep.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral observations of 24 infants at 0.5 and 3.5 hours post-birth.
- Analysis of blood samples for glucose, insulin, CCK, and FFA levels.
Main Results:
- At 0.5 hours, 88% of infants were awake with 83% exhibiting sucking movements, correlated with decreased plasma glucose.
- At 3.5 hours, 88% of infants were asleep with only 12% showing sucking, associated with increased plasma CCK and FFA.
- Infant plasma insulin levels remained stable throughout the observation period.
Conclusions:
- Decreased glucose may trigger initial newborn alertness and sucking behaviors.
- Elevated CCK and FFA levels might contribute to the transition to sleep and cessation of sucking in newborns.
Abstract:
Twenty-four infants were submitted to behavioural observation 0.5 and 3.5 h after birth. Blood samples were collected from the umbilical cord and from the infant immediately following observation, for the determination of glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and free fatty acids (FFA). It was found that 88% of the infants were awake and 83% performed sucking movements 0.5 h after birth; these findings were associated to a decrease in the plasma glucose concentration (p = 0.05). Eighty-eight percent of the infants were asleep and only 12% exhibited sucking movements 3.5 h after birth; at this time point there was an increase in the plasma concentrations of both CCK (p = 0.05) and FFA (p = 0.01). The infants' plasma insulin concentrations remained unchanged during the time course. It is suggested that the initial behavioural pattern of the newborn, characterized by the appearance of sucking movements, may be due to the rapid decrease of the circulating glucose concentration. The successive increase in the blood concentrations of both CCK and FFA might be two of the factors contributing to the cessation of sucking and to the establishment of a sleeping state.