Ghrelin levels in cord blood from concordant and discordant twin pairs: association with birth weight and postnatal catch-up growth.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether cord blood ghrelin levels in discordant and concordant twins predict postnatal catch-up growth.


METHODS
After obtaining parental consent, cord blood samples were collected at delivery for total ghrelin analysis. Infant weight, length and head circumference were obtained at birth, 2, 4, and 6 months of age. Data points post-discharge were obtained from the pediatrician's office or via parent contact. Pearson correlation evaluated the relationship between cord blood ghrelin levels and postnatal catch-up growth.


RESULTS
There was a statistically significant correlation between cord blood ghrelin levels and birth weight among concordant twins, but not among the discordant twins. Cord blood ghrelin levels did not predict postnatal growth at 6 months of age overall, but did so in the subset of monochorionic, discordant pairs.


CONCLUSIONS
Cord blood ghrelin levels did not correlate overall with birth size or postnatal catch-up growth in concordant and discordant twin pairs, but did so in selected subsets. Further studies are needed.
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Advocate Lutheran General Children's Hospital, Park Ridge, IL, USA.
Umair
U
Sharih
Bhagya L
BL
Puppala
Ramona
R
Donovan
Barbara V
BV
Parilla
D001724:Birth Weight; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014427:Twins / Q000097:blood*
D054439:Ghrelin