Do birth variable data predict melatonin production in 8- to 9-year-old children? Analysis of excreted 6-sulfatoxymelatonin.
OBJECTIVE
A cross-sectional study on urinary excretion of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT.6S) in young adults suggests a relation between melatonin production and body size at birth. As individual melatonin production remains stable during childhood and adolescence, this melatonin-birth size relation should also exist in children.


METHODS
Daily urinary output of aMT.6S of 147 healthy white children (78 boys, 69 girls), 8 or 9 years of age, was quantified by ELISA and related to birth variable data.


RESULTS
Contrary to expectation, aMT.6S output was not related to the ponderal index at birth but a moderate positive association with body mass index at the age of 8-9 years was seen.


CONCLUSIONS
This study in children contradicts previous findings in adults. As no obvious reason can be identified for this discrepancy, further research (particularly a longitudinal study) is recommended to clarify whether birth variable data may predict melatonin production in certain circumstances during or after puberty.
Institute for Occupational Physiology at Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany. griefahn@ifado.de
Barbara
B
Griefahn
Meinolf
M
Blaszkewicz
Peter
P
Bröde
Thomas
T
Remer
D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D008550:Melatonin