Increased aortic intima-media thickness is related to lipid profile in newborns with intrauterine growth restriction.
OBJECTIVE
Low birth-weight is known to be associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk similar to that seen with major environmental risk factors, such as cigarette smoking or hypertension. Much epidemiological evidence has linked low birth-weight with hypertriglyceridaemia.


METHODS
We measured aortic wall thickness by ultrasonography and lipid profile in 40 newborn babies with intrauterine growth restriction and 40 controls.


RESULTS
Maximum and mean aortic intima-media thickness were significantly higher in the babies with intrauterine growth retardation (0.58 +/- 0.06, 0.52 +/- 0.03 mm, respectively) than in controls (0.44 +/- 0.05, 0.40 +/- 0.03 mm, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, respectively), more so after adjustment for birth-weight (maximum intima-media thickness: 0.23 +/- 0.03 mm/kg vs. 0.12 +/- 0.02 mm/kg, p < 0.0001; mean intima-media thickness: 0.21 +/- 0.02 mm/kg vs. 0.11 +/- 0.01 mm/kg, p < 0.0001). Serum triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the intrauterine growth retardation group (48.9 +/- 14.8 mg/dl) compared with the control group (32.5 +/- 9.8 mg/dl, p < 0.0001). The mean body mass index, prepregnancy weight, weight gain during pregnancy, maternal LDL cholesterol level and, height of the mothers were significantly lower in the intrauterine growth retardation group compared with the control group. For maximum aIMT, significant associations included the ponderal index (p = <0.01), length (p = 0.01) and serum triglyceride levels of infants (p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Newborn babies with growth restriction have significant maximum aortic thickening with hypertriglyceridaemia, suggesting that prenatal events might predispose to later cardiovascular risk.
Koklu
Esad
E
Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Erciyes University, School of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey.
Kurtoglu
Selim
S
Akcakus
Mustafa
M
Koklu
Selmin
S
Buyukkayhan
Derya
D
Gumus
Hakan
H
Yikilmaz
Ali
A
D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000473:pathology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol