Relation of cord plasma concentrations of proinsulin, 32–33 split proinsulin, insulin and C-peptide to placental weight and the baby's size and proportions at birth

doi:10.1016/0378-3782(96)01752-5

Early Human Development

Volume 46, Issues 1–2, 20 September 1996, Pages 129-140

https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-3782(96)01752-5 Get rights and content

Abstract

Small and disproportionate size at birth are associated with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease in adult life. Insulin has an important role in controlling growth in utero and we hypothesised that reduced fetal insulin secretion could be one factor underlying these associations. We therefore measured cord plasma concentrations of proinsulin, 32–33 split proinsulin, insulin and C-peptide in 391 babies born at term and related them to the weight of the placenta and to the babies' size and proportions at birth. Babies with a small placental weight and a lower birth weight had lower cord plasma concentrations of split proinsulin and insulin. Babies who were disproportionate, either having a high ratio of head to abdominal circumference or being thin, had lower concentrations of proinsulin, split proinsulin and insulin. The relations with split proinsulin were especially strong, the geometric mean concentration (pmol/1) falling from 14.2 in babies with a head to abdominal circumference ratio of 101.6% or less to 7.2 in those with a ratio above 107.3% (P < 0.0001), and from 17.4 in babies with a ponderal index above 28.5 kg/m³ to 7.4 in those with a ponderal index of 25.5 kg/m³ or less (P < 0.0001). These findings support the hypothesis that reduced fetal insulin secretion may be one factor underlying the associations between reduced growth in utero and type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease in adult life.

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Relation of cord plasma concentrations of proinsulin, 32–33 split proinsulin, insulin and C-peptide to placental weight and the baby's size and proportions at birth

Abstract

Lancet

Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.

Early Hum. Dev.

The relation of head size and thinness at birth to death from cardiovascular disease in adult life

Br. Med. J.

Fetal origins of coronary heart disease

Br. Med. J.

Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia (syndrome X): relation to reduced fetal growth

Diabetologia

Growth in utero and serum cholesterol concentrations in adult life

Br. Med. J.

Mothers, Babies and Disease in Later Life

Practical assessment of neonatal nutrition status beyond birthweight: an imperative for the 1990s

Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol.

Analysing fertility and infant mortality by mother's social class as defined by occupation — Part II

Popul. Trends

Placental transfer

Diet in pregnancy and the offspring's blood pressure 40 years later

Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol.

Fetal proinsulin and birth weight

Diabetic Med.

High prevalence of gestational diabetes in women from ethnic minority groups

Diabetic Med.

The role of insulin in prenatal growth

J. Dev. Physiol.

Insulin deficiency: effects on fetal growth and development

J. Paediatr. Child Health

In vivo deactivation of proinsulin action on glucose disposal and hepatic glucose production in normal man

Diabetes

Maternal nutrition in early and late pregnancy in relation to placental and fetal growth

Br. Med. J.

Fetal and infant growth and impaired glucose tolerance at age 64

Br. Med. J.

Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: the thrifty phenotype hypothesis

Diabetologia

The use of a specific immuno- radiometric assay to determine preterm neonatal insulin-glucose relationships

Arch. Dis. Child.

The influence of maternal haemoglobin and ferritin on mid-pregnancy placental volume

Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol.