Does cord blood leptin level mediate the association between neonatal body size and postnatal growth? Results from the EDEN mother–child cohort study

Abstract

Background: Leptin is potentially involved in the correction of early postnatal growth of infants having deviated from their genetic trajectory in utero.

Aim: To analyse the potential mediating role of cord blood leptin level in the association between neonatal anthropometry and early postnatal growth in the mother–child EDEN cohort.

Subjects and methods: We included term newborns with information on leptin, birth weight and length, and weight and length SD-score changes over the first 2 months. The Baron and Kenny method was used to quantify the mediation contribution of leptin in the association between neonatal anthropometry and postnatal growth, considering several confounders. Analyses were stratified to consider sexual dimorphism.

Results: A 1 SD higher birth weight was associated with a lower 2-months weight variation of 0.27 (0.18; 0.36) SD and a 0.16 (0.06; 0.26) SD, in boys and girls, respectively. Leptin explained 20% and 25% of these associations, respectively. Leptin did not mediate the association between birth length and birth-to-2 months length variation.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that cord blood leptin may not be involved in the negative association between birth length and postnatal length growth but may play a modest mediating role in early postnatal catch-up or catch-down in weight.

Keywords:

• Cord blood leptin
• neonatal body size
• weight-for-length
• catch-up growth
• mediation analysis

Acknowledgements

The authors are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives and psychologists who recruited and followed them, and the whole EDEN team, including research scientists, engineers, technicians and managers and especially Josiane Sahuquillo and Edith Lesieux for their commitment and their role in the success of the study. The authors also acknowledge the commitment of the members of the EDEN Mother-Child Cohort Study Group: I. Annesi-Maesano, J.Y. Bernard, J. Botton, M.A. Charles, P. Dargent-Molina, B. de Lauzon-Guillain, P. Ducimetière, M. de Agostini, B. Foliguet, A. Forhan, X. Fritel, A. Germa, V. Goua, R. Hankard, B. Heude, M. Kaminski, B. Larroque†, N. Lelong, J. Lepeule, G. Magnin, L. Marchand, C. Nabet, F Pierre, R. Slama, M.J. Saurel-Cubizolles, M. Schweitzer, O. Thiebaugeorges.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Société Française de Nutrition.

French Nutrition Society; National Institute for Research in Public Health (IRESP TGIR Cohorte Santé 2008 Programme); National Agency for Research (ANR nonthematic programme); French Speaking Association for the Study of Diabetes and Metabolism (Alfediam); Mutuelle Générale de l’Éducation Nationale; Nestlé; French National Institute for Health Education (INPES); Paris‐Sud University; French National Institute for Population Health Surveillance (INVS); French Agency for Environment Security (AFFSET); French Ministry of Health Perinatal Programme; INSERM Nutrition Research Programme; Institut Fédératif de Recherche and Cohort Programme; French Ministry of Research; Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale