Cord Blood Leptin and Body Weight Gain in Early Infancy

Abstract

Summary T he aim of the study is to detect the relationship between level of cord blood leptin and birth weight and also detect the value of cord blood leptin as a potential predictor of weight gain in early infancy. This is a follow up (prospective) study, that will be carried out at delivery room, Obstetrics & Gynecology Department of Ghamra Military Hospital and will be followed up in the nutritional clinic in the same hospital umbilical vein samples will be withdrawn from fifty fullterm newborns. We collected data about maternal characteristics about mother diabetic or hypertensive, medical illness and medication,Weight and BMI before pregnancy and at delivery, gestational age, mode of delivery. And then we examine the offsprings for Birth weight and height for age and Occipitofrontal circumference for age We investigate 5 mls cord blood will be collected from the umbilical vein , Hormonal measure of Leptin (ng/ml) by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All cases will be followed up monthly in neonatal clinic after delivery for 3 months for weight and length for age. Results: In our study we found that cord blood leptin is significantly higher in females than males. There was positive significant correlation between cord blood leptin and gestational age and pre pregnancy BMI. We also found that lower cord blood leptin levels were seen to be associated with lower birth weight but with more pronounced weight gain in first three months of life. During the follow up of neonates we found that weight gain was significantly higher in formula feeding compared to those with breast feeding neonates this explained by presence of leptin in human breast milk. There was no correlation between cord blood leptin and maternal age and birth length. No significant difference between neonates delivered by normal vaginal delivery and those by cesarean section