What may Pygmies teach us about short stature in very preterm infants?

Abstract

Short stature is frequently observed in preterm infants until adulthood. Linear growth represents predominantly protein, lean mass, and bone mass accretion and indicates organ growth, which is dependent on the growth hormone-somatomedin axis. Weight gain represents total body mass, including fat mass, and indicates the balance between energy intake and expenditure, which is dependent on the glucose-insulin axis.2 Although the causes of preterm weight retardation are known and have been extensively studied, the origins and consequences of linear growth retardation in this population have not been fully investigated...