# Cord Blood Appetite Hormones and Early-Life Growth and Childhood Adiposity in the ENVIRONAGE Cohort

## TL;DR

The study found that hormone levels in newborns' blood are linked to early growth patterns and childhood obesity risk.

## Contribution

This study identifies associations between cord blood appetite hormones and early-life growth and adiposity in children.

## Key findings

- Higher cord blood PYY and PP levels were linked to rapid early growth and higher BMI at 4-6 years.
- Leptin levels were inversely associated with rapid growth in early life.
- PYY and PP levels were associated with increased adiposity peak and BMI z scores in childhood.

## Abstract

Are cord blood levels of appetite hormones associated with early-life growth patterns and childhood adiposity?

In this birth cohort study of 325 children, cord blood peptide YY and pancreatic polypeptide levels were associated with rapid growth in early life and a higher body mass index z score at 4 to 6 years of age, whereas leptin levels were inversely associated with rapid growth.

These results suggest that cord blood appetite hormone levels may contribute to early childhood growth and adiposity, potentially influencing the development of obesity.

This cohort study of children in the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort explores the associations of a set of anorexigenic cord blood appetite hormone levels with postnatal growth, body mass index growth trajectories, and childhood adiposity measures.

Understanding early-life origins of increased body mass is crucial because childhood obesity increases the risk of later development of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Appetite hormones have been investigated in relation to fat accumulation in adults, but little is known about the association between cord blood levels of these hormones and obesity-related outcomes in early childhood.

To examine whether cord blood appetite hormone levels are associated with early-life growth trajectories and childhood adiposity.

This prospective birth cohort study was conducted within the Environmental Influence on Early Aging (ENVIRONAGE) birth cohort, with follow-up data collected at 4 to 6 years of age. The study includes children from a population-based cohort in Belgium recruited between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2016, with available cord blood appetite hormone levels and participating in follow-up visits.

Cord blood levels of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), and leptin.

Adiposity peak, anthropometric measures at 4 to 6 years of age (waist to height ratio and body mass index z score), and rapid growth and slow growth from birth to 6, 12, and 24 months.

A total of 325 children (median [IQR] age, 4.49 [4.04-4.95] years; 151 [46.5%] male) were studied. Analyses were performed in 2 subgroups based on availability of appetite hormones: 226 children with cord blood PP and leptin (median [IQR] age at follow-up, 4.5 [4.3-4.7] years; 108 [47.8%] male) and 229 children with cord blood PYY and GLP-1 (median [IQR] age at follow-up, 4.5 [4.3-4.8] years; 98 [42.8%] male). PYY levels were positively associated with the adiposity peak (β = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.01-0.27). PYY and PP levels were associated with an higher risk of rapid growth in the first 2 years of life (odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% CI, 1.03-2.84; OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.21-2.27, respectively). Leptin levels showed an inverse association with rapid growth (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27-0.66). PYY and PP levels were associated with a higher body mass index z score at 4 to 6 years of age (β = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04-0.30; β = 0.17; 95% CI, 0.004-0.34, respectively).

In this cohort study of 325 children, cord blood appetite hormone levels were associated with early-life growth and adiposity, suggesting that appetite hormones may influence childhood growth and body composition trajectory from birth onward.