title: Mother and Infant Body Mass Index, Breast Milk Leptin and Their Serum Leptin Values.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates correlations between mother and infant Body Mass Index (BMI), their serum leptin values and breast milk leptin concentration in early infancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined serum leptin values in 58 healthy infants and leptin values in their mothers' breast milk, using radioimmunoassay (RIA). Infant and maternal anthropometrics were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median leptin concentration was 3.9 ng/mL (interquartile range (IQR): 2.75) in infant serum, 4.27 ng/mL (IQR: 5.62) in maternal serum and 0.89 ng/mL (IQR: 1.32) in breast milk. Median maternal BMI and weight were 24 kg/m² (IQR: 4.41) and 64 kg (IQR: 15). Median infant BMI was 15.80 kg/cm² (IQR: 4.02), while average weight was 5.130 kg (IQR: 1.627). Infants serum leptin values positively correlated with infants' BMI (p = 0.001; r = 0.213) and breast milk leptin (p = 0.03; r = 0.285). Maternal serum leptin values positively correlated with maternal BMI (p = 0.000, r = 0.449) and breast milk leptin ones (p = 0.026; r = 0.322).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Breast milk leptin and maternal BMI could influence infant serum leptin values. Further studies are needed to better elucidate the role of genetics and environment on infant leptin production and risk of obesity later in life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children' Hospital, Citt&#224; della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino I-10126, Italy. francesco.savino@unito.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Savino
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children' Hospital, Citt&#224; della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino I-10126, Italy. allegra.sardo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Allegra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children' Hospital, Citt&#224; della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino I-10126, Italy. lory_rossi@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children' Hospital, Citt&#224; della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino I-10126, Italy. stefy_benetti@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children' Hospital, Citt&#224; della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino I-10126, Italy. andrea.savino817@edu.unito.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savino
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin I-10126, Italy. leandra.silvestro@unito.it.
authors.forename: Leandra
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silvestro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009035:Mothers; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin
keywords: BMI; breast milk; infancy; mothers; serum leptin