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STUDY OF NEONATAL LEPTIN CONCENTRATIONS IN RELATION TO GESTATIONAL AGE AND BIRTH WEIGHT

EL MENEZA S, and KHODEER N., Pediatrics and Clinical Pathology Departments, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, AL Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Objectives: This study was carried out to define the relation between leptin levels in newborn infants to state of maturity, gender, and birth weight.

Subjects and methods: A total number of sixty-two newborn infants were included in this work. They were classified according to birth weight and gestational age to Groups. Group I: Full term, appropriate for gestational age (AGA), Group II: full term, small for gestational age (SGA), Group III: preterm infants, Group IV: large for gestational age (LGA). Leptin, triglycerides, insulin and cholesterol concentrations were studied. Gestational age, birth weight, head circumference and length were taken for each infant after birth. Maternal conditions as diabetes, preeclampsia or intake of glucocorticoid were reported. The data were computerized and statistical analysis was done using the Excel package.

Results: The mean values for leptin concentration was significantly decreased among the preterm infants than other groups, P=0.002. Leptin concentration showed significant correlation with gestational age.P-.0.05. Large for gestational age group showed the highest mean values among the studied group, p=0.001. Infant of diabetic mothers showed a different pattern depending on the stage of maternal diabetes, the LGA diabetic newborn had significant higher values than SGA diabetic newborn infants, p-0.004.Single intake of maternal glucocorticoid had no effect of leptin concentration of the newborn infants.

Conclusions: Leptin is a growth factor that interferes with body weight of newborn infants and its concentration is affected by gestational age and fetal maturity. Maternal conditions as diabetes increased leptin concentrations.