title: Plasma insulin levels in childhood are related to maternal factors--results of the Ulm Birth Cohort Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The cardiovascular risk factor profile of a child as well as the development of body weight are influenced by genetic and childhood factors. Circulating insulin concentrations reflect the metabolic cardiovascular risk and may trigger weight gain. We aimed at identifying parental and childhood factors which may influence fasting plasma insulin concentrations in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Ulm Birth Cohort study (UBCS) is a prospective birth cohort study. At baseline, birth characteristics, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) values as well as parental socioeconomic parameters were obtained. At the 8-yr follow-up examination, weights, heights, and fasting plasma insulin concentrations in n = 422 children and their parents were measured. Offspring of women with gestational diabetes mellitus were excluded from statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fasting plasma insulin concentrations of children were significantly correlated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI values (r = 0.16) as well as with maternal (r = 0.26) but not with paternal fasting plasma insulin concentrations (r = 0.11) at the 8-yr follow-up examination. The risk for high fasting plasma insulin concentrations (≥75th internal percentile) was 2.30 (1.34-3.92) in children who also had high plasma insulin concentrations in umbilical cord blood compared to children having lower plasma insulin concentrations (<75th internal percentile) in umbilical cord blood. In addition, we observed that children with high fasting plasma insulin concentrations at the age of 8 had an altered BMI trajectory in childhood, characterized by higher BMI values from the age of 1 onwards, compared to children with lower insulin concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observations support the hypothesis of perinatal programming of offspring insulin concentrations and BMI values by maternal pre-pregnancy BMI values.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, University Medical Center Ulm, 89075, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moß
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lennerz
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weyermann
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rothenbacher
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wabitsch
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin
keywords: BMI trajectory; insulin; perinatal programming; pre-pregnancy BMI