Abstract
There is little information on gut hormone levels in the human neonate. We compare levels of gastrin, motilin, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), pancreatic glucagon, enteroglucagon and insulin in cord blood of 19 normal neonates and 7 neonates with fetal distress, and report enteroinsular hormone release during the first feed of breast milk or 10% dextrose in 21 infants. Fetal distress caused significantly elevated mean cord levels of motilin, P.P., VIP and pancreatic glucagon. The first feed of human milk (5ml/kg) caused a rise in blood glucose, insulin, gastrin and enteroglucagon, but no change in GIP or pancreatic glucagon. 10% dextrose feeds (5mls/kg) caused similar changes without the increase in enteroglucagon. We conclude 1) several important gut hormones are detectable in cord blood. 2) Fetal distress stimulates selective gastro-intestinal hormone release. 3) Neonates differ from adults in their enteroinsular hormone response to feeding.
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Lucas, A., Bloom, S. & Ansley-Green, A. Hormones from gut and pancreas in term neonates: response to fetal distress and different alimentary stimuli. Pediatr Res 12, 1088 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197811000-00044
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197811000-00044