Insulin Responses During Catch-up Growth of Infants Who Were Small for Gestational Age

Abstract

Growth characteristics of 15 full-term infants, selected because of weights more than 2 SD below the mean for gestational age, are described. The response to an i.v. injection of glucose was utilized to measure the insulin response of the infants at 6 mo. Infants small for gestational age grow at a faster rate than appropriate-for-age infants during the 1st 6 mo. of life. There was a positive correlation between the growth velocity of the period and insulin release and a negative correlation between growth velocity and birth length. There was no correlation between these variables and increases in weight during the same period. Growth velocity during catch-up growth is related to the degree of preceding retardation, but insulin may play a permissive role.