Alterations in infant adipokine concentrations in the first postnatal week with exposure to diabetes in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Characterize changes in neonatal energy metabolism hormones in first postnatal week. STUDY DESIGN: Concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, insulin, resistin, and ghrelin were measured in cord and infant blood collected in the first postnatal week in a prospective cohort of term and preterm infants. Change over time in each hormone was modeled using linear mixed effects regression. RESULT: Among 106 infants, 65 (61%) were preterm and 44 (42%) were exposed to diabetes (DM) in pregnancy. DM group had higher leptin [between group difference β 2.5 (95%CI: 1.72-3.70)] and resistin [β 1.5 (95%CI:1.14, 1.92)] and lower ghrelin [β 0.49] [95%CI: (0.32-0.76)] versus non-DM group. Preterm infants had lower adiponectin [β 0.80 (95%CI: 0.67-0.96)] versus term group. Insulin varied by DM and prematurity (interaction-term p value < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this cohort, hormone concentrations varied by DM and prematurity. Early alterations in energy metabolism hormones may reflect changes in developmental programming which persist in the early postnatal period.