Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion Are Related to Catch-Up Growth in Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants at Age 1 Year: Results from a Prospective Cohort

TLDR

Low birth weight has been linked to insulin resistance, yet most evidence comes from retrospective studies. The study aimed to assess whether 1‑year‑old small‑for‑gestational‑age infants exhibit reduced insulin sensitivity compared to appropriate‑for‑gestational‑age peers. A cohort of 85 SGA and 23 AGA infants underwent blood lipid, fasting insulin, and other insulin‑sensitivity marker measurements, plus IV glucose tolerance testing, with SGA infants further stratified by weight or length catch‑up growth.

Abstract

Strong associations between low birth weight and insulin resistance have been described. However, most of these studies have been retrospective. We aimed to determine whether infants born small for gestational age (SGA: birth weight <5th percentile for gestational age) have decreased insulin sensitivity, compared with appropriate for gestational age (AGA: birth weight >10th percentile) at 1 yr of age. We studied blood lipids, fasting insulin levels, other markers of insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion during an iv glucose tolerance test in a cohort of 85 SGA and 23 AGA 1-yr-old infants. In addition, SGA infants were stratified according to catch-up growth (CUG) in weight (WCUG) or length (LCUG) during the first year of life.