IGF-I and relation to growth in infancy and early childhood in very-low-birth-weight infants and term born infants.
BACKGROUND
In very-low-birth-weight infants IGF-I plays an important role in postnatal growth restriction and is probably also involved in growth restriction in childhood. We compared IGF-I and its relation to growth in early childhood in very-low-birth-weight infants and term appropriate for gestational age born infants.


METHODS
We included 41 very-low-birth-weight and 64 term infants. Anthropometry was performed at all visits to the outpatient clinic. IGF-I and insulin were measured in blood samples taken at 6 months and 2 years corrected age (very-low-birth-weight children) and at 3 months, 1 and 2 years (term children).


RESULTS
Over the first 2 years of life growth parameters are lower in very-low-birth-weight children compared to term children, but the difference in length decreases significantly. During the first 2 years of life IGF-I is higher in very-low-birth-weight children compared to term children. In both groups there is a significant relationship between IGF-I and (change in) length and weight over the first 2 years of life and between insulin and change in total body fat.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the relation of IGF-I to growth and the decrease in difference in length, higher IGF-I levels in very-low-birth-weight infants in early childhood probably have an important role in catch-up growth in length.
Department of Pediatrics, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Miranda
M
de Jong
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Anneke
A
Cranendonk
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Jos W R
JW
Twisk
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Mirjam M
MM
van Weissenbruch
D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood* / Q000254:growth & development*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000097:blood; D047929:Term Birth / Q000097:blood*
D007328:Insulin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I