title: Preterm born 9-year-olds have elevated IGF-1 and low prolactin, but levels vary with behavioural and eating disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the relationship between hypothalamic-associated hormones and behavioural and eating disorders in children with low birthweight.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 100 children (mean age 9.7 years): 39 were born preterm at <32 gestational weeks, 28 were full-term, but small for gestational age, and 33 were full-term controls. Behavioural histories were analysed, together with fasting blood samples of leptin, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), prolactin, glucagon and cortisol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preterm children had lower prolactin (p = 0.01) and higher IGF-I than controls (p < 0.05, adjusted for confounders), despite being significantly shorter than the predicted target height (p < 0.001). More preterm children displayed behavioural disorders (38% versus 10%, p < 0.001) and eating disorders (26% versus 8%, p < 0.05) than full-term children. These disorders were associated with lower leptin (p < 0.01), insulin (p < 0.05) and IGF-I (p < 0.05), but correlations between these hormones and leptin were similar among the groups. Combined behavioural and eating disorders were only observed in preterm children, who were also the shortest in height.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Behavioural and eating disorders among preterm children were associated with low leptin, insulin and IGF-1. Low prolactin in all preterm children indicated an increased dopaminergic tonus, which might inhibit body weight incrementation. This raises speculation about IGF-I receptor insensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|The Sahlgrenska Center for Pediatric Ophthalmology Research, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kistner
authors.affiliation: Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Women and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Neonatal Unit, Astrid Lindgrens Childrens Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deschmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Women and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Neonatal Unit, Astrid Lindgrens Childrens Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Legnevall
authors.affiliation: Department of Women and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Neonatal Unit, Astrid Lindgrens Childrens Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanpee
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D011388:Prolactin
keywords: Dopaminergic tonus; Insulin-like growth factor-1; Leptin; Prolactin; Target height deviation