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Comparison of leptin levels in neonates born to mothers with high or low gestational weight gain

Abstract Background Gestational weight gain (GWG) influences both fetal and maternal health. Leptin is a biomarker that may predict the early development of obesity and greater weight gain in childhood. Newborns with higher neonatal weight have been found to have higher leptin levels in umbilical cord blood (UCB). There are few studies that evaluate leptin levels in UCB according to GWG in women with a normal body mass index (BMI). The aim of the present study was to determine whether the levels of leptin in UCB in neonates born to mothers with a high GWG were higher, compared with levels in newborns whose mothers had a low GWG. Methods A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on 65 primigravidas. They were under 30 years of age, had normal pregestational BMIs, no associated diseases and were classified as having high (n = 22) or low (n = 43) GWG. The neonatal UCB leptin levels were measured and both neonatal and maternal anthropometric evaluations were carried out. The quantitative variables were compared through the Mann-Whitney U test and Student’s t test, as appropriate. Results UCB leptin levels were higher in the neonates whose mothers were in the high GWG group, compared with those born to mothers in the low GWG group (7.0 [1.9–11.4] vs. 2.9 [1.2–6.7] ng/mL, p = 0.020). When stratified by sex, that difference was maintained only in male neonates. Conclusions UCB leptin levels were higher in neonates born to mothers with a high GWG, compared with those in newborns whose mothers had a low GWG.