The effects of exercise on body weight and circulating leptin in premature infants.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of daily movements on weight gain, serum leptin, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in premature infants.


METHODS
Twenty very-low-birth-weight premature infants were matched and randomized to a daily movement (n = 10) and control groups (n = 10). Daily movement consisted of passive range of motion with gentle compression of both the upper and lower extremities 5 days per week for 4 weeks.


RESULTS
Daily movements led to a significant increase in weight gain (784 +/- 51 vs 608 +/- 26 g in movements and controls, respectively, p < 0.02), and to a significant increase in leptin (0.60 +/- 0.19 vs 0.13 +/- 0.06 ng/ml in movements and controls, respectively 18.8 +/- 4.1 vs 9.2 +/- 4.1 ng/ml in movements and controls, respectively); however, this increase was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
A relatively brief range of motion daily movement intervention was associated with greater weight gain and increased leptin levels in very-low-birth-weight premature infants. This may suggest that at least part of the daily movements associated with increase in body weight resulted from an increase in adipose tissue.
D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
D020738:Leptin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I