Growth and endothelial function in the first 2 years of life.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that the inverse association between infant growth and endothelial function at 6 months would persist to 24 months and that accelerated growth would lead to an increased percent body fat, which would, in turn, impact negatively on endothelial function.


METHODS
In a prospective observational study, 104 healthy term newborns underwent anthropometry and measurements of vascular vasodilation at 0, 6, 12, and 24 months. We recorded maximum vasodilation in response to acetylcholine (endothelium-dependent) and nitroprusside (endothelium-independent) by use of laser-Doppler vascular perfusion monitoring of the forearm skin vasculature. Additional anthropometry at 1 and 3 months was collected from child welfare centers. The data were analyzed by multilevel linear regression.


RESULTS
Weight gain from 0-1 month was associated inversely with maximum perfusion in response to acetylcholine at the age of 2 years (b = -8.28 perfusion units [PU] per Δ z-score, P = .03). Weight gain from 0-1 month was related positively to maximum perfusion in response to nitroprusside (b = 10.12 PU per Δ z-score, P = .04), as was birth weight (b = 8.02 PU per z-score, P = .02). Body fat percentage did not have a significant effect in any of the perfusion models and was not related to maximum perfusion at 2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Infant weight gain from 0-1 month is inversely related to endothelial function in healthy term infants, at least to the age of 2 years. This relationship was not explained by an increased percentage body fat.
Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: bob.touwslager@mumc.nl.
Robbert N H
RN
Touwslager
Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht School for Cardiovascular Diseases (CARIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Alfons J H M
AJ
Houben
Department of Methodology and Statistics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Frans E S
FE
Tan
Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Section of Complex Genetics, Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Marij
M
Gielen
Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Section of Complex Genetics, Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maurice P
MP
Zeegers
Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht School for Cardiovascular Diseases (CARIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Coen D A
CD
Stehouwer
Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Willem-Jan M
WJ
Gerver
Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Klaas R
KR
Westerterp
Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Loek
L
Wouters
Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Carlos E
CE
Blanco
Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Luc J
LJ
Zimmermann
Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Antonius L M
AL
Mulder
D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*