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The Effects of Exercise on Body Weight and Circulating Leptin in Premature Infants

Journal of Perinatology volume 22, pages 550–554 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of daily movements on weight gain, serum leptin, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in premature infants.

STUDY DESIGN: Twenty very-low-birth-weight premature infants were matched and randomized to a daily movement (n=10) and control groups (n=10). Daily movement consisted of passive range of motion with gentle compression of both the upper and lower extremities 5 days per week for 4 weeks.

RESULTS: Daily movements led to a significant increase in weight gain (784±51 vs 608±26 g in movements and controls, respectively, p<0.02), and to a significant increase in leptin (0.60±0.19 vs 0.13±0.06 ng/ml in movements and controls, respectively, p<0.05). Changes in body weight correlated with changes in serum leptin (r=0.48, p<0.03). IGF-I also increased following daily movements (18.8±4.1 vs 9.2±4.1 ng/ml in movements and controls, respectively); however, this increase was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: A relatively brief range of motion daily movement intervention was associated with greater weight gain and increased leptin levels in very-low-birth-weight premature infants. This may suggest that at least part of the daily movements associated with increase in body weight resulted from an increase in adipose tissue.

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Acknowledgements

We thank MaryAnn Hill, PhD, from the University of California, Irvine, CA, USA, for her help in performing the statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Alon Eliakim MD & Dan Nemet MD

  2. Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Tzipora Dolfin MD

  3. Endocrinology Laboratory, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Eli Weiss MSc

  4. Biochemical Laboratories, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Ruth Shainkin-Kestenbaum PhD & Monica Lis MSc

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Center for the Study of Health Effects of Exercise in Children, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA

    Dan Nemet MD

Authors
  1. Alon Eliakim MD
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  2. Tzipora Dolfin MD
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  3. Eli Weiss MSc
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  4. Ruth Shainkin-Kestenbaum PhD
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  5. Monica Lis MSc
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  6. Dan Nemet MD
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Additional information

Biostatistics consult: MaryAnn Hill, PhD, Biostatistician, University of California, Irvine, CA 92868, USA.

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Eliakim, A., Dolfin, T., Weiss, E. et al. The Effects of Exercise on Body Weight and Circulating Leptin in Premature Infants. J Perinatol 22, 550–554 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210788

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