Cambridge Baby Growth Outcome Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Nutritionally related biomarkers of changes in body composition and metabolic risk in children recruited to The Cambridge Baby Growth Outcome Study
IRAS ID
131668
Contact name
David Dunger
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
CUHNFT and the University of Cambridge
Research summary
It is known that the early environment, both in utero (in the womb), as well as the nutrition and weight gain in early life, influence later body composition and later risk of childhood obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk. This is especially important in babies born small-for-gestational age (SGA), who often show rapid growth in infancy, and are at greater risk for later metabolic disease.
The Cambridge Baby Growth Study (CBGS) accumulated a wide range of data around the period of birth and detailed growth follow-up of infants until 2 years of age. We have identified markers of early nutrition, growth and body composition in infancy, including hormones (eg. IGF-1, leptin, adiponectin), metabolites, lipids, and breast milk analyses. This outcome study has now been designed as a follow up study to the CBGS. Building on an existing valuable and unique resource of infancy growth and biochemical data, we now want to link this to metabolic outcomes at age 5-10 years.
Our primary objective is to identify associations between early life biomarkers and longer-term metabolic risk factors in mid-childhood, such as reduced insulin secretion, insulin resistance, and elevated blood pressure. Children will attend the hospital’s clinical research facility after an overnight fast, for a 2-3 hour visit. They will have a detailed body composition assessment, including a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, blood pressure measurements, and an oral glucose tolerance test to measure insulin secretion and sensitivity. We will also measure body composition in the child’s parents, when possible. We aim to recruit 150 children from our original cohort, approximately 40 born small, and the others born with normal birth weight.
By identifying early nutritional biomarkers that predict adverse metabolic phenotypes in childhood, we would then be able to inform nutritional intervention studies, and potentially reduce risk for adult disease.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EE/0233
Date of REC Opinion
16 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion