A potentially important insight into the mechanisms controlling intrauterine growth is provided by recent studies that modify the traditional idea that white adipose tissue is a simple energy storage tissue, to the idea that it is a highly active endocrine organ secreting a range of hormones of importance in modulating metabolism, energy homeostasis, and growth (1). Essential elements of this control system are leptin and ghrelin, both of which signal nutritional status and energy storage levels to the hypothalamic feeding centers (2). Circulating concentrations of leptin and ghrelin have been measured in healthy and diseased individuals in many studies (1, 2), but there are still limited data about the relative role of maternal and fetal ghrelin and leptin in fetal growth. Because the main established endocrine regulators of fetal growth include insulin and the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) [6] system, we prospectively investigated the association at birth between mothers' and babies' serum concentrations of ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and major components of the IGF system (IGF-1, IGF binding protein 3 [IGFBP-3]) and neonatal anthropometric characteristics and the growth of the fetus. We also put babies' serum glucose and growth hormone (GH) measurements in this context. Finally, we investigated whether, at parturition, obstetric and perinatal factors could confound the pattern of mothers' and babies' response to such hormones. Materials and Methods
