ESPE Abstracts (2016) 86 P-P2-513

aDPUO-Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; bDepartment of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; cEndocrinology and Diabetology Unit-Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy


Background: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS) as adults and show a higher prevalence of MetS components.

Objective and hypotheses: To define the association between low birth weight and the presence of MetS in a cohort of obese Italian children and adolescents.

Method: The presence of MetS was studied in a cohort of obese (BMI >90th centile) children and adolescents consisting of 281 subjects with birth weight >2500 g (130 F/151 M, mean age 12.8 ± 1.9, group 1) and 25 subjects with birth weight ≤2500 g (12F/13M, mean age 12.5 ± 1.9, group 2). 22 subjects were defined as SGA (8F/14M, mean age 12.8±2.4, group 3). MetS was defined according to IDF criteria. Chi-square test was used to establish the relationship between birth weight and MetS and odds ratios were calculated.

Results: MetS was present in 41 subjects (14.6%) of group 1, in 4 subjects (16%) of group 2 and in four SGA patients (18.2%). No significant differences in MetS prevalence were found between groups. Compared to normal birth weight, neither a birth weight ≤ 2500 g (odds ratio 1.1; 95% CI: 0.3–3.4) nor SGA status (odds ratio 1.3; 95% CI: 0.4–4) were significantly associated with increased risk of MetS.

Conclusion: Low birth weight is not associated with increased risk of MetS in obese children and adolescents. Therefore, routine evaluation of metabolic parameters is not justified in children and adolescents born SGA.

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