Relationships between IGF-I and Weight Z Score, BMI, Tricipital Skin-Fold Thickness, Type of Feeding in Healthy Infants in the First 5 Months of Life

Vol. 49, No. 2, 2005

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Original Paper

Relationships between IGF-I and Weight Z Score, BMI, Tricipital Skin-Fold Thickness, Type of Feeding in Healthy Infants in the First 5 Months of Life
F. Savino, G.E. Nanni, S. Maccario, R. Oggero, G.C. Mussa

Department of Paediatrics, University of Turin, Regina Margherita Hospital, Turin, Italy

Address of Corresponding Author

Ann Nutr Metab 2005;49:83-87 (DOI: 10.1159/000084740)

Key Words

Breast feeding
Formula feeding
Insulin-like growth factor-I
Body mass index
Z score for weight
Tricipital skin-fold thickness

Abstract

Aim: To determine the concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in exclusively breast-fed (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants in the first 5 months of life and to study the relationship between the IGF-I level and Z score for weight, body mass index (BMI) and tricipital skin-fold thickness. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in order to evaluate serum IGF-I in 97 age-matched healthy term infants: 50 FF and 47 BF. Results: FF infants showed higher values of IGF-I (38.9 ± 12 ng/ml) when compared to BF infants (26.7 ± 11.6 ng/ml; p < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between IGF-I values and Z score for weight (p < 0.001), BMI (p = 0.014), tricipital skin-fold thickness (p = 0.043) and age (p = 0.02). Conclusion: These results show that the IGF-I serum concentration is higher in FF infants. The observed association between IGF-I and Z score for weight, BMI, tricipital skin-fold thickness confirms the effect of different infant feeding on body size.

Author Contacts

Dr. Francesco Savino
Dipartimento di Scienze Pediatriche e dell'Adolescenza
Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita, Piazza Polonia, 94
IT-10126 Turin (Italy)
Tel. +39 011 3135257, Fax +39 011 677082, E-Mail francesco.savino@unito.it

Article Information

Received: August 28, 2004
Accepted: October 19, 2004
Published online: March 29, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 23

Medline Abstract (ID 15802902)

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