Early BMI Gain and Later Height Growth Predicts Higher DHEAS Concentrations in 7-Year-Old Chilean Children

Abstract

Background: Accelerated weight and height gain in infancy have been associated with premature adrenarche. However, the exact tempo of these events remains undefined. Thus, our goal wasto assess the relationship between early BMI and height growth in different periods before 7 years of age and plasma DHEAS levels at 7 years of age. Methods: This is a longitudinal follow-up of participants of the Growth and Obesity Chilean Cohort Study (GOCS) that represents Chilean children from low- to middle-income families. The subjects were 972 children (48% girls) with birth weights of 2,500-4,500 g for whom serial weight and height measurements from birth until 7 years were available. At 7 years of age, we also measured DHEAS, IGF-I, leptin, insulin, and other metabolic markers in serum. The main outcome of interest was plasma DHEAS concentrations at 7 years of age. Results: At 7 years of age, children with DHEAS >75th percentile of the sample were taller and fatter and presented higher HOMA-IR and IGF-I than their counterparts (p < 0.05). Children with higher DHEAS were heavier at 4 years of age and beyond compared to their counterparts (higher BMI [BMI SDS at 4 years: 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.29 vs. 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.91, p < 0.001]) and taller at 7 years of age (height SDS at 7 years: 0.19, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.31 vs. -0.001, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.06, p < 0.005). Conclusions: We observed weight and BMI from 2 to 4 years, and height gains from 4 to 7 years were associated with higher DHEAS levels at 7 years.

Adrenal Function in Adolescence is Related to Intrauterine and Postnatal Growth

“…In combination with our data, these findings suggest that rapid postnatal growth—in particular during the second year of life—is an important predictor of adrenal androgen secretion in adolescence and it is more important than size at birth. Furthermore, together with the findings from Growth and Obesity Chilean Cohort Study in prepubertal children [26], our study suggests that not only length/height growth but also weight or BMI gain appears to be associated with adrenal function in later life.…”

Trajectories of Growth and Serum DHEAS and IGF-1 Concentrations in Girls With a History of Premature Adrenarche: Attenuation of the Phenotype by Adulthood

“…To support this hypothesis, increased weight gain in early childhood is associated with later childhood obesity, accelerated growth, and earlier pubertal development in healthy children ( 29 ). Second, rapid early weight gain ( 30 – 32 ), childhood obesity ( 33 , 34 ), and several nutritional factors such as higher intake of animal ( 33 ) and vegetable protein ( 35 ), and low-fiber grain products ( 35 ) are independently associated with higher adrenal androgen secretion in healthy prepubertal children. In one of these studies, healthy children with highest DHEAS concentrations at the age of 7 years had gained most weight by the age of 4 and most height by the age of 7 years ( 32 ).…”

“…Second, rapid early weight gain ( 30 – 32 ), childhood obesity ( 33 , 34 ), and several nutritional factors such as higher intake of animal ( 33 ) and vegetable protein ( 35 ), and low-fiber grain products ( 35 ) are independently associated with higher adrenal androgen secretion in healthy prepubertal children. In one of these studies, healthy children with highest DHEAS concentrations at the age of 7 years had gained most weight by the age of 4 and most height by the age of 7 years ( 32 ). Third, increased early weight gain is associated with PA in several cohorts ( 8 , 36 ), including ours ( 5 ).…”

Association between Body Mass Index and Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Level in 8-Year-Old Girls

“…In several studies, prepubertal adrenal androgen production has been reported to be higher in obese children 14,15,26–30. Children with higher DHEAS level were reported to be fatter and tended to be taller and have a higher BA than their counterparts 14.…”

“…Previous studies have shown that low birth weight and small size for gestational age are associated with higher prepubertal adrenal androgen production, mainly in girls, especially if accompanied by rapid weight gain in early childhood 9–13. Higher prepubertal adrenal androgen production has also been reported in obese children with normal birth weight 13–15. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 8-year-old girls to investigate the associations between body mass index (BMI) and serum DHEAS level.…”