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Review
. 2023 Aug 18;108(9):e663-e670.
doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgad202.

The Association of Accelerated Early Growth, Timing of Puberty, and Metabolic Consequences in Children

Youn Hee Jee  1   2   3 , Sanjay Jumani  1 , Veronica Mericq  4
Affiliations
Review

The Association of Accelerated Early Growth, Timing of Puberty, and Metabolic Consequences in Children

Youn Hee Jee et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. .

Abstract

Accelerated early growth and early timing of puberty or pubertal variant have been noticed as risk factors for metabolic syndrome, more frequently observed in children born small for gestational age (SGA) or children with premature adrenarche (PA). Children with SGA, especially if they make an accelerated catch-up growth in early life, carry a higher risk for long-term metabolic consequences, such as type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, multiple studies support that these children, either born SGA or with a history of PA, may have earlier pubertal timing, which is also associated with various metabolic risks. This review aims to summarize the recent studies investigating the association between early infantile growth, the timing of puberty, and metabolic risks to expand our knowledge and gain more insight into the underlying pathophysiology.

Keywords: SGA; adrenal; growth; infancy; insulin resistance; puberty.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The sequence of the associations between birth weight, early growth, pubertal characteristics, and metabolic risks. “?” reflects a lack of data on early growth in children born AGA who develop PA later in childhood.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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