The Relationship Between Breast Milk Adipocytokine Levels and Anthropometric Measurements of SGA Infants in the First Year of Life

Background/Objective: Adipocytokines play a role in infant growth and metabolic programming. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between obestatin, nesfatin-1, visfatin, and adiponectin levels in breast milk and serum of Small for Gestational Age (SGA) infants and their anthropometric measurements up to one year of age. Methods: Thirty SGA infants and forty AGA (appropriate for gestational age) infants were included in study, and their anthropometric measurements were taken in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th, and 12th months of life. Nesfatin-1, adiponectin, obestatin, visfatin levels were examined in breast milk samples and infant serum at 1st and 3rd months using ELISA. Results: Serum and breast milk adiponectin levels at the 1st month were significantly associated with the longitudinal change in head circumference. Breast milk adiponectin at the 1st month was negatively associated with the longitudinal change in head circumference (p = 0.04), while serum adiponectin was positively associated with head circumference change in the first year (p = 0.007). Serum visfatin levels in the 1st month were negatively associated with longitudinal triceps skinfold (TSF) changes (p = 0.04), and there was no relation between nesfatin-1 or obestatin levels in breast milk or serum and changes in the anthropometric indices of infants up to one year of age. Conclusions: Breast milk and serum adiponectin may have an effect on head circumference development up to 1 year of age. Specifically, serum visfatin influenced changes in the infant’s TSF over time and may lead to the fat mass accumulation. Further studies with longer follow-up periods are needed to examine the effect of adipocytokines on the growth of SGA infants.