We investigated the relationship between glucose tolerance and birth weight in a group
of 7-year-old black South Africans on whom longitudinal anthropometric data were
available. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT’s) were carried out on 152 subjects and
inverse correlations were found between birth weight and the total amount of insulin
secreted during the first 30 minutes (r= -0.19, p=0.04) and the last 90 minutes (r= -0.19,
p=0.04) of the oral glucose tolerance test and also between birth weight and the 30 minute
glucose concentrations (r= -0.20, p=0.02). Children born with low birth weights but who
had high weights at 7 years, had higher insulin concentrations and indices of obesity
compared with those with low birth weights and low weights at 7 years of age. There were
also positive correlations between weight velocity and BMI (r=0.24, p=0.02) and weight
velocity and postprandial insulin levels (r=0.31, p=0.001). Thus low birth weight in
conjunction with rapid childhood gains in weight especially as subcutaneous fat, produces
poor glucose tolerance in 7-year-old children and may make them susceptible to the
development of Type II diabetes later in life.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/7213 |
| Date | 08 September 2009 |
| Creators | Trusler, Jessica |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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