title: Correlates of the FTO gene variant (rs9939609) and growth of American Indian infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity is a global, growing public-health problem. The detrimental health consequences of obesity are significant and include co-morbidities such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and some types of cancer. To date, findings relating the A allele of the FTO variant rs9939609 to increased energy intake and risk for obesity have been fairly consistent across multiple populations. However, it is not known whether that relationship is also present in American Indian (AI) populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the minor allele frequency of the FTO variant rs9939609 and its associations with birth weight, weight for length (WFL) Z score, and amount of formula intake in AI infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional exploratory descriptive design was applied with a sample of 49 AI mother-infant dyads.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers with an A allele had higher prepregnancy body mass index than those without an A allele, though difference was not statistically significant (p=0.08). Infants with an A allele tended to have higher birth weights, WFL Z score at age 14 to 20 weeks, and 24-h formula consumption compared with infants without an A-allele, though those differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Neither maternal nor infant A alleles were statistically significantly associated with birth weight, WFL Z score, and amount of formula intake in AI infants (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings do not confirm the association of the A allele of the FTO variant rs9939609 with birth weight, amount of formula intake, and WFL Z score in AI infants.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, USA. lekseal@ymail.com
authors.forename: Nuananong
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Lyle G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Best
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000208:ethnology; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; C526492:FTO protein, human