Serum Ghrelin Concentration and Weight Gain in Healthy Term Infants in the First Year of Life

Abstract

Objectives: Ghrelin, a recently discovered hormone mainly secreted by the stomach, has several metabolic functions including regulation of food intake, energy homeostasis and body weight. There are few studies on this hormone in healthy infants during the first year of life. The aim of this study was to examine the correlations between ghrelin and weight gain in healthy term infants in the first year of life. Methods: 104 healthy term infants aged 0 to 12 months were included in a cross‐sectional study. Anthropometric measurements were assessed and mean weight gain was calculated. Serum ghrelin concentrations have been determined at least 3 hours after feeding by radioimmunoassay test. Results: Ghrelin concentrations were correlated negatively to weight gain (r = −0.302; P = 0.003) and positively to age (r = 0.412; P < 0.001), weight (r = 0.374; P < 0.001) and length (r = 0.387; P < 0.001). In breastfed infants a statistically significant negative correlation between ghrelin concentration and infant weight gain (r = −0.407; P = 0.001) was observed, whereas in formula‐fed infants this correlation was not statistically significant (r = −0.067; P = 0.719). Conclusions: The negative correlation observed between ghrelin concentration and infant weight gain suggests that ghrelin might also play a role in the regulation of body weight in healthy infants with a physiologic energy balance. Further studies are needed to clarify how ghrelin might be involved in both short‐term and long‐term energy balance.

Ghrelin and feeding behaviour in preterm infants

“…A positive correlation between circulating ghrelin levels and fasting time was also observed in exclusively FF infants in the first 6 months of life, suggesting that ghrelin could be involved in appetite regulation from the first months of life [57]. The negative relationship described between total ghrelin levels and weight gain during the first year of life may also indicate that ghrelin reflects changes in weight beyond the neonatal period [58].…”

Ghrelin and Obestatin in Infants, Lactating Mothers and Breast Milk

“…Different ghrelin concentrations between formula-fed and breastfed infants may be related to the different satiating capacities of the ingested macronutrients present in formula and breast milk [15,24,25]. Vester et al [26] also indicated that diet and age of kittens affect the circulating concentrations of peptides important in appetite regulation, such as ghrelin.…”

Breastfeeding After Gestational Diabetes Pregnancy

“…The circulating leptin levels were not only related to adipose tissue production, but may be contributed from human milk (70). Because ghrelin stimulates insulin secretion and body fat accretion in animals (72), higher ghrelin levels in formula-fed than breastfed infants (73) may influence early weight gain (74). Regulation of energy homeostasis in infancy via hormone levels in human milk and metabolic responses may be especially important for metabolic programming of infants of women with diabetes or previous GDM.…”