Neonatal Adipocytokines and Longitudinal Patterns of Childhood Growth

Abstract

Objective: Adipocytokines are markers of fetal metabolism, but their association with childhood growth is unclear. This study examined associations of neonatal adipocytokines with longitudinal childhood adiposity measures in a prospective cohort of pregnant women and their children.

Methods: Leptin and adiponectin concentrations at delivery and children's BMI z scores between age 4 weeks and 8 years were measured. Differences in BMI z scores and rates of BMI z score change by leptin (n = 257) and adiponectin (n = 271) terciles were estimated.

Results: Children in the middle (mean difference: 0.2; 95% CI: -0.1 to 0.4) and highest (0.4; 95% CI: 0.1 to 0.6) leptin terciles had greater BMI z scores than children in the lowest tercile. Associations were null after adjustment for birth weight z score. Children in the lowest adiponectin tercile had greater gains in BMI z score (change per year: 0.10; 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.13) than children in the middle (0.07; 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.09) and highest terciles (0.04; 95% CI: -0.01 to 0.05) (adiponectin × age interaction P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Lower adiponectin levels were associated with increased rates of BMI gains in the first 8 years of life. Though leptin was positively associated with BMI, this association may be confounded by birth weight.

Figure 1.. Estimated child body mass index (BMI) z-scores between age 4 weeks and 8 years by neonatal leptin tercile (N = 257) (The HOME Study, 2003–2006).

Cord serum leptin concentration ranges for each tercile: low (0.2 – 7.1 ng/mL, N = 84), middle (7.2 – 14 ng/mL, N = 85), and high (14 – 95 ng/mL, N = 88). Model was adjusted for maternal race, age, maternal BMI, parity, cotinine concentrations, household income, child age, and child sex. The solid and dashed lines represent estimated mean child BMI z-scores between age 4 weeks and 8 years. Shading represents the 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 2.. Estimated child body mass index (BMI) z-scores between age 4 weeks and 8 years by neonatal adiponectin tercile (N = 271) (The HOME Study, 2003–2006).

Cord serum adiponectin concentration ranges for each tercile: low (2.2 – 34 μg/mL, N = 86), middle (34 – 49 μg/mL, N = 94), and high (49 – 143 μg/mL, N = 91). Model was adjusted for maternal race, age, maternal BMI, parity, cotinine concentrations, household income, child age, child sex, and adiponectin x age interaction term (P-value for interaction term < 0.001). The solid and dashed lines represent estimated mean child BMI z-scores between age 4 weeks and 8 years. Shading represents the 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 3.. Estimated child body mass index (BMI) z-scores between age 4 weeks and 8 years by neonatal adiponectin tercile, stratified by child sex: (A) Girls (N = 148) and (B) Boys (N = 123) (The HOME Study, 2003–2006).

Model was adjusted for maternal race, age, maternal BMI, parity, cotinine concentrations, household income, child age, and adiponectin x age interaction term (P-value for interaction term < 0.001 for girls and 0.19 for boys). The solid and dashed lines represent estimated mean child BMI z-scores between age 4 weeks and 8 years. Shading represents the 95% confidence intervals.