title: Very low birth weight infants as a model to study genetic influences on neonatal weight gain.
abstract: In a cohort of 829 preterm infants (birth weight below 1500 g) we identified 13 monozygotic, 10 same-sex dizygotic, and 12 same-sex matched singleton pairs. The difference in daily weight gain within pairs was significantly lower in monozygotic twins compared with dizygotic twins or matched singleton pairs. Our data support a strong genetic influence on postnatal growth in preterm infants. Therefore, weight gain of preterm infants may be an interesting model to study polymorphic variants of genes regulating neonatal resorption, metabolism, or energy expenditure, and their influence on weight gain in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Pediatrics, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany. spiegler@paedia.ukl.mu-luebeck.de
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spiegler
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kattner
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vochem
authors.forename: Helmuth
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Küster
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kribs
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Segerer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wieg
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nikischin
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von der Wense
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gebauer
authors.forename: Egbert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herting
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Göpel
mesh_terms: D005858:Germany; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D008954:Models, Biological; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000235:genetics*