Maternal Leptin and Glucose: Effect on the Anthropometric Measurements of the Saudi Newborn
Arjumand S. Warsy¹, Zeinab Habib², Mohammad Addar², Sooad Al-Daihan¹ and Mohammad Alanazi¹

¹Department of Biochemistry, College of Science. ²Department of Ob/Gyn., College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

Abstract: To investigate the influence of maternal leptin and glucose on umbilical cord leptin levels and anthropometric measures in Saudi newborn. Maternal blood samples (10ml) were drawn in ACD tubes and umbilical cord blood was collected from 151 mothers at the time of delivery of full term normal infants, at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh. Informed consent was recorded for each female. Maternal height (ht), weight (wt), age and baby’s length and weight were recorded and ponderal index (wt/ht3), wt/ht ratio and body mass index (wt/ht2) were calculated. Leptin level was estimated in plasma by RIA. Maternal blood glucose level was estimated using an autoanalyser at the KKUH Laboratory in a blood sample collected in fluoride tube. Maternal and umbilical cord blood leptin levels were compared and correlated. Maternal leptin, glucose, weight and BMI were correlated with each other and with the anthropometric variables of the baby. Maternal leptin levels were significantly higher (19.79± 13.84 ng/ml) compared to the umbilical cord blood (10.36 ± 8.08 ng/ml) leptin (P<0.0001). No significant differences were seen in umbilical cord leptin from male and female babies. Similarly, maternal leptin level did not differ for male and female babies. Maternal leptin correlated with maternal weight (r=0.310; p=0.0001) and maternal BMI (r=0.254; p=.006). It also correlated positively with umbilical cord leptin (r= 0.287; p=0.0001), but not with baby’s weight or BMI or ponderal index. Maternal glucose level showed a strong positive correlation with umbilical cord leptin (r=0.435; p=0.0001) and the baby’s weight (r=0.307; p=0.008), BMI (r=0.334; p=0.004) and ponderal index (r=0.324; p=0.005). However, umbilical cord leptin correlated significantly with the weight of the baby (r=0.330; p=0.0001) wt/ht (r=0.182; p=0.034) and ponderal index (r=0.209; p=0.015) . In two large-for-gestational age babies (>4 kg), the leptin level was significantly higher (>25 ng/ml) compared to the rest of the normal-for-gestational age babies. The results of this study discard the hypothesis of a non-communicating two-compartment model of feto-placental leptin regulation and shows that maternal leptin level correlates with umbilical cord leptin. It is not affected by weight and BMI in the mothers but increases significantly as the maternal blood glucose level increases. This may be one of the causes for large babies in diabetic mothers.

Keywords: Leptin; Body Mass Index; Obesity; Cord Blood; Pregnancy

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