Abstract
The somatomedins (SM) are a group of peptide hormones which are believed to mediate at least some of growth hormone's anabolic effects. While the role of SM in postnatal growth is well established, its function in prenatal and early postnatal growth is not clear and studies on SM levels in the neonatal period have given conflicting results. Part of the confusion is due to the fact that the assays employed are relatively nonspecific for the different SMs. We have used a highly specific immunoassay to measure SM-C levels in 18 healthy full term neonates (birth weight 2750-3825 gm). SM-C was measured on cord blood (CB) and on samples obtained on days 1,2,3,4,5 and 14. Relative to normal adult serum (1 μ/ml) the CB levels were low (0.27 ± .21) and fell to almost undetectable levels within the first day (< 0.1). SM-C levels remained low through day 4 but began to rise on the 5th day (.19 ± .09). By day 14 the levels were above those seen in cord serum (0.47 ± .28). The low SM-C levels observed in early postnatal life, a period when growth hormone levels are elevated, suggests a relative insensitivity of the neonate to the somatogenic effects of growth hormone.
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Falterman, C., Furlanetto, R., Richardson, C. et al. 1299 SOMATOMEDIN-C (SM-C) IN THE NEONATE. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 659 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01328
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01328