Non-invasive inverstigations of indicators for an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome in 6- to 7-year-old children born very preterm

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Low birth weight in infants born at term is associated with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome in later life. Intrauterine malnutrition is assumed to lead to permanent metabolic adaptations resulting in insulin resistance and associated disorders. To date, it has been scarcely studied whether children born very preterm are also at an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Just like term infants born with a low birth weight due to fetal malnutrition during the last trimester of intrauterine life, preterm infants face an adverse environment postnatally during a developmental stage which corresponds to the third trimester of a normal pregnancy. This situation might equally lead to lifelong programming of endocrine-metabolic pathways. We hypothesize that children born very preterm are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome. In a prospective study we therefore aim to study a whole spectrum of surrogate parameters for risk of developing metabolic syndrome in 6- to 7-year-old children. Between 6- to 7-year-old children born at term and those born preterm we aim to compare insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, vascular resistance, body composition, visceral adipose tissue, and adrenal androgen production using modern non-invasive methods.