Effect of Perinatal Condition and Nutritional Management on Patterns of Growth and Body Composition in Low-Birth-Weight Infants

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2024 | Viewed by 6216

Special Issue Editor

Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
Interests: DOHaD; FGR; insulin resistance; skeletal muscle

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research regarding the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) shows that pre and postnatal (the first 1000 days, from conception to two years of age) environmental factors can affect the body composition and disease development over the year. On the other hand, recent progression in neonatal intensive care has led to dramatic improvements in the survival of very preterm infants. These developments in neonatology have been associated with an increased number of infants with a short gestational age surviving their neonatal period; however, now their long-term health outcomes have become a matter of great concern. Studies among preterm-born children have found different body shapes compared to children born at term. However, it is unknown whether nutritional management or medication during hospitalization may improve body composition. For an upcoming Nutrients Special Issue, we are pleased to invite researchers to contribute articles focusing on clinical and animal studies regarding pathogenesis, diagnostics, and nutritional management for unique body composition in preterm infants.

Dr. Hiromichi Shoji
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • preterm infants
  • aggressive nutrition
  • body composition
  • fat-free mass
  • skeletal muscle
  • human milk

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1126 KiB  
Article
Antenatal Growth, Gestational Age, Birth, Enteral Feeding, and Blood Citrulline Levels in Very Low Birth Weight Infants
by Midori Obayashi, Sachiko Iwata, Tomoya Okuda, Ichita Mori, Shigeharu Nakane, Yasuko Togawa, Mari Sugimoto, Takao Togawa, Kanji Muramatsu, Shinji Saitoh, Takahiro Sugiura and Osuke Iwata
Nutrients 2024, 16(4), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16040476 - 07 Feb 2024
Viewed by 652
Abstract
Early enteral nutrition using reliable biomarkers of intestinal function must be established to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs). Serum citrulline levels reflect the intestinal function in adults. To elucidate the relationship among antenatal growth, postnatal enteral nutrition, and [...] Read more.
Early enteral nutrition using reliable biomarkers of intestinal function must be established to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs). Serum citrulline levels reflect the intestinal function in adults. To elucidate the relationship among antenatal growth, postnatal enteral nutrition, and blood citrulline levels, a retrospective single-center observational study was conducted on 248 VLBWIs born between April 2014 and March 2021. A mixed effect model and post hoc simple slope analysis were used to estimate the correlations between clinical variables and citrulline levels at Early (day 5.1) and Late (day 24.3) postnatal ages. Greater gestational age, birth weight, and amount of enteral nutrition at the time of blood sampling were associated with lower citrulline levels at the Early postnatal age and higher citrulline levels at the Late postnatal age. Provided that Early citrulline levels predominantly reflect the consequence of antenatal citrulline metabolism, it is suggested that fetal growth and maturation are likely to promote citrulline catabolism in utero and its synthesis after birth. With additional insights into the temporal transition point wherein the maturation-dependent balance of citrulline metabolism shifts from catabolism-dominant to synthesis-dominant, citrulline emerges as a potential biomarker for assessing intestinal function and gastrointestinal disorders. Full article
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11 pages, 3022 KiB  
Article
Hepatic and Skeletal Muscle Autophagy Marker Levels in Rat Models of Prenatal and Postnatal Protein Restriction
by Irena Santosa, Hiromichi Shoji, Yoshiteru Arai, Kentaro Awata, Kazuhide Tokita and Toshiaki Shimizu
Nutrients 2023, 15(13), 3058; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15133058 - 07 Jul 2023
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Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) leads to adult-onset metabolic syndrome. Intrauterine and early postnatal caloric restriction ameliorates the risk in animal models. To understand the underlying mechanism, we compared autophagic marker levels between offspring with FGR and those with prenatal and early postnatal protein [...] Read more.
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) leads to adult-onset metabolic syndrome. Intrauterine and early postnatal caloric restriction ameliorates the risk in animal models. To understand the underlying mechanism, we compared autophagic marker levels between offspring with FGR and those with prenatal and early postnatal protein restriction (IPPR). We postulated that FGR would impair, whereas IPPR would help regulate, autophagy in neonatal rats. This study involved control (Con), FGR offspring (Pre), and IPPR offspring groups (Pre + Post); n = 5/group. We assessed the abundance of autophagy markers in the liver and skeletal muscles. At birth, the Pre group pups had lower levels of some autophagy-related proteins, with increased p62 expression and a low microtubule-associated protein light chain beta (LC3-II:LC3-I) ratio. This finding suggests a lower hepatic autophagy flux in FGR offspring than the Con group. The hepatic levels of autophagy proteins were considerably decreased in the Pre and Pre + Post groups at 21 days of age compared to the Con group, but the LC3-II:LC3-I ratio was higher in the Pre + Post group than in the Con and Pre groups. The muscle levels of beclin-1, LC3-II, and p62 were lower in the Pre group pups, with no difference in the LC3-II:LC3-I ratio among the groups. An imbalance in the nutritional environment is associated with downstream autophagic flux, thus suggesting that FGR offspring will have impaired autophagic flux, and that post-natal nutrition restriction might help reduce this risk. Full article
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13 pages, 3090 KiB  
Article
Body Fat-Reducing Effects of Whey Protein Diet in Male Mice
by Kimitaka Nakazaki, Nobuhiko Nagano, Daichi Katayama, Shoichi Shimizu, Kengo Matsuda, Wataru Tokunaga, Ryoji Aoki, Kazumasa Fuwa and Ichiro Morioka
Nutrients 2023, 15(10), 2263; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15102263 - 10 May 2023
Viewed by 1876
Abstract
This study investigated the mechanism of reducing body fat via whey protein diet. Pregnant mice were fed whey or casein, and their offspring were fed by birth mothers. After weaning at 4 weeks, male pups received the diets administered to their birth mothers [...] Read more.
This study investigated the mechanism of reducing body fat via whey protein diet. Pregnant mice were fed whey or casein, and their offspring were fed by birth mothers. After weaning at 4 weeks, male pups received the diets administered to their birth mothers (n = 6 per group). At 12 weeks of age, body weight, fat mass, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin (IRI), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), cholesterol (Cho), triglyceride (TG), the expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes in liver tissues and metabolomic data of fat tissues were measured and compared between the groups. The birth weights of pups born were similar in the two groups. Compared to the pups in the casein group, at 12 weeks of age, pups in the whey group weighed less, had significantly lower fat mass, HOMA-IR and TG levels (p < 0.01, p = 0.02, p = 0.01, respectively), and significantly higher levels of the antioxidant glutathione and the anti-inflammatory 1-methylnicotinamide in fat tissues (p < 0.01, p = 0.04, respectively). No differences were observed in FBG, IRI, Cho levels (p = 0.75, p = 0.07, p = 0.63, respectively) and expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes. Whey protein has more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than casein protein, which may be its mechanism for reducing body fat. Full article
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9 pages, 1114 KiB  
Article
Use of Head and Chest Circumference Ratio as an Index of Fetal Growth Retardation in Preterm Infants
by Hiromichi Shoji, Yayoi Murano, Yukika Saitoh, Naho Ikeda, Natsuki Ohkawa, Naoto Nishizaki, Ken Hisata, Masato Kantake, Kaoru Obinata, Daisuke Yoneoka and Toshiaki Shimizu
Nutrients 2022, 14(22), 4942; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224942 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1895
Abstract
We evaluated the relationship between fetal growth in preterm babies using the head circumference (HC)/chest circumference (CC) ratio and other anthropometric parameters at birth and at school age. Data were collected from 187 very low birth weight (VLBW) children born at less than [...] Read more.
We evaluated the relationship between fetal growth in preterm babies using the head circumference (HC)/chest circumference (CC) ratio and other anthropometric parameters at birth and at school age. Data were collected from 187 very low birth weight (VLBW) children born at less than 30 weeks of gestational age (GA) at birth and at 6 years. We assessed the correlation between the HC/CC ratio and body weight (BW), body length (BL), and HC z-scores at birth, and BW, body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI) z-scores at 6 years. Multiple regression analysis showed that BW z-score, BL z-score, and HC z-score at birth were significantly associated with HC/CC at birth. The BMI z-score at 6 years was also significantly associated with HC/CC at birth. The HC/CC ratio at birth is a reliable parameter for evaluating fetal growth restriction and a possible predictor of physical growth in VLBW children. Full article
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