Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 1 , Pages 19-25, February 2010

Association of Plasma Leptin Levels With Maternal Body Weight and Body Mass Index in Premature and Term Newborns

  • Shih-Ping Ho

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Ling-Jen Wang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • I Cheng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yi-Ling Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Tseng-Chen Sung

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Guey-Mei Jow

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shu-Chi Mu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, 95 Wen-Chang Road, Shilin District, Taipei 111, Taiwan

Received 17 December 2008; received in revised form 27 May 2009; accepted 10 June 2009.

Article Outline

Background

Leptin plays an important role in the regulation of body weight and energy metabolism in adults; its role in neonates also needs to be explored. The current study aims to determine the correlation between serum leptin concentrations and anthropometric variables in newborns and their mothers, and to examine the effects of sex, gestational age and antenatal steroid use on neonatal leptin levels.

Methods

This was a retrospective study. Blood samples were collected from 55 newborns within 24 hours of birth. Plasma leptin levels were measured by immuno-metric assay. The relationship between neonatal leptin levels and anthropometric parameters was determined using Pearson's correlation and further evaluated by linear regression analysis.

Results

Neonatal leptin was significantly correlated with maternal body weight (p < 0.002) and maternal body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001). However, it was not correlated with gestational age (p = 0.130), birth weight (p = 0.097), or birth BMI (p = 0.336). The leptin levels in premature newborns (gestational age < 37 weeks; 0.69 ± 1.82 ng/mL) were significantly less than those in term newborns (gestational age ≥ 37 weeks; 2.09 ± 2.30 ng/mL, p = 0.031). There were no significant differences between sexes (p = 0.277) or in relation to antenatal steroid use (p = 0.611).

Conclusion

Neonatal serum leptin concentrations within 24 hours of birth correlated with maternal body weight and BMI, especially in premature newborns. Premature newborns had significantly lower leptin levels than full-term newborns.

Key Words:  anthropometric parameters , body mass index , leptin level , newborn

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PII: S1875-9572(10)60005-8

doi:10.1016/S1875-9572(10)60005-8

Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 1 , Pages 19-25, February 2010

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