Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
5Impact of being born small for gestational age on onset and progression of puberty
Section snippets
Animal studies
In animals, as in humans, the onset of puberty occurs though interactions between the neuroendocrine and reproductive axes. Results of animal studies indicate that postnatal reproductive ability may be largely determined by appropriate development of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis during fetal life.19
It is well established that malnutrition during critical periods in early life has implications for further development.20, 21, 22 Studies evaluating puberty in animals have shown that
Onset and development of puberty
Variations in pubertal timing and progression in children born SGA, as in the rest of the population, are likely to be related to many factors, including ethnicity, genetic background, nutrition and other unknown factors. Epidemiological studies have been performed in different populations from Europe with emphasis on the height attained after puberty in girls and boys born SGA.
In a Swedish follow-up study of singleton pregnancies from birth until 16 years of age, prematurely born children [SGA
Boys
The majority of studies exploring the association between low birth weight (LBW) and the pituitary–gonadal axis have focused on female reproductive function. Information on the influence of fetal growth on male gonadal function is remarkably scarce, and most studies have focused on the relationship between LBW and testis dysgenesis syndrome that is hypothesized to have a fetal origin.36, 37 An adverse effect of toxic or environmental agents (such as oestrogens) on the developing fetal
Summary
Puberty is one of the most important milestones in life. It not only represents the step into maturity, but also involves important body and physiological changes. Restricted prenatal growth may be followed by a permanent resetting of endocrine axes that co-determine pubertal development.
Some animal studies have correlated IUGR and changes in pubertal timing. In addition, a number of human studies have demonstrated a secular trend in the onset of puberty towards earlier pubertal development
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Cited by (30)
IUGR: Genetic influences, metabolic problems, environmental associations/triggers, current and future management
2019, Best Practice and Research: Clinical Endocrinology and MetabolismCitation Excerpt :Among girls with PCOS (n = 170), SGA birth was seen in only 9% of adolescents, implicating that other factors are responsible [38]. IUGR status is associated with elevated FSH levels in early infancy in SGA born boys and girls [39,40]. In the study by Ibanez L et al. [40] FSH secretion at 3–6 months in boys and girls were 2–3 fold higher than in AGA controls.
Puberty: Gonadarche and Adrenarche
2019, Yen & Jaffe's Reproductive Endocrinology: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Management: Eighth EditionFollow-up of the small-for-gestational-age child: Clinical guidelines
2012, Anales de PediatriaPrenatal programming of obesity in a swine model of leptin resistance: Modulatory effects of controlled postnatal nutrition and exercise
2014, Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and DiseaseMaternal diet-induced obesity in swine with leptin resistance modifies puberty and pregnancy outputs of the adult offspring
2013, Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and DiseaseAccelerated Early Childhood Growth Is Associated With the Development of Earlier Adrenarche and Puberty
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