Impact of Birth Weight and Early Infant Weight Gain on Insulin Resistance and Associated Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescence

BACKGROUND: Low birth weight followed by accelerated weight gain during early childhood has been associated with adverse metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes later in life. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of early infant weight gain on glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence and to study if the effect differed between adolescents born small for gestational age (SGA) vs. appropriate for gestational age (AGA). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Data from 30 SGA and 57 AGA healthy young Danish adolescents were analysed. They had a mean age of 17.6 years and all were born at term. Data on early infant weight gain from birth to three months as well as from birth to one year were available in the majority of subjects. In adolescence, glucose metabolism was assessed by a simplified intravenous glucose tolerance test and body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Blood pressures as well as plasma concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol were measured. Early infant weight gain from birth to three months was positively associated with the fasting insulin concentration, HOMA-IR, basal lipid levels and systolic blood pressure at 17 years. There was a differential effect of postnatal weight gain on HOMA-IR in AGA and SGA participants (P for interaction = 0.03). No significant associations were seen between postnatal weight gain and body composition or parameters of glucose metabolism assessed by the simplified intravenous glucose tolerance test. In subgroup analysis, all associations with early infant weight gain were absent in the AGA group, but the associations with basal insulin and HOMA-IR were still present in the SGA group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that accelerated growth during the first three months of life may confer an increased risk of later metabolic disturbances--particularly of glucose metabolism--in individuals born SGA

Københavns Universitet Impact of birth weight and early infant weight gain on insulin resistance and associated cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence Impact of Birth Weight and Early Infant Weight Gain on Insulin Resistance and Associated Cardiovascu

Abstract Background: Low birth weight followed by accelerated weight gain during early childhood has been associated with adverse metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes later in life. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of early infant weight gain on glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence and to study if the effect differed between adolescents born small for gestational age (SGA) vs. appropriate for gestational age (AGA)

Effects of early infant weight gain (ΔSDS_{birth to 3 months}) on glucose metabolism, body composition, and cardiovascular risk factors at adolescence.

<p>Data are linear regression coefficients ± SE or [95% confidence limits]. For the purpose of tabulation the regression coefficients and confidence limits for log-transformed dependent variables were scaled using the regression coefficient for the untransformed variable. All regressions are adjusted for sex. ^§Adjusted for sex, age and current height. ^§§Adjusted for sex and current weight. ***<i>P</i><0.001, **<i>P</i><0.01, *<i>P</i><0.05.</p

Correlations of infant weight gain with birth weight, HOMA-IR and plasma glucose.

<p>Correlations between infant weight gain from birth to 3 months and birth weight SDS (Panel A), HOMA-IR at adolescence (Panel B), and mean basal plasma glucose concentration at adolescence (Panel C) in individuals born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA). *: <i>P</i><0.005 for association.</p

Anthropometry at birth, infancy and adolescence of subjects born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA).

<p>Data are means ± SD or [95% confidence limits] in the AGA and SGA group for the 87 subjects with data on early infant weight gain. ΔWSDS  =  change in weight SDS. ***<i>P</i><0.001, *<i>P</i><0.05.</p