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Studies Reveal Generational Cycle of Mother's Early Puberty Driving Child's Obesity Risk and Early Puberty

Posted on: Sunday, 25 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

BOSTON, June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study not only confirms the link between childhood obesity and early onset of puberty but also demonstrate that a mother's age at her first period is linked to her children's risk for obesity. Taken together, the results suggest a spiraling generational link between obesity and early puberty.

This study, as well as two others on treatment of diabetes in children, will be discussed at a media roundtable on Sunday, June 25th at 2:00 P.M. EDT during ENDO 2006, the 88th Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Early Puberty for Mother Predicts Rapid Infant Growth and Childhood Obesity

A related study by Dr. Ken Ong of the UK Medical Research Council and University of Cambridge set out to find possible inherited reasons for such findings, that larger girls are more likely to mature earlier. Ong found that mothers who had completed their own puberty early were shorter and fatter than other mother. They gave birth to offspring who grew rapidly during infancy, became more overweight during childhood, and themselves had earlier puberty.

In the ALSPAC birth cohort study from Bristol UK, Ong looked at the body mass index (BMI) for more than 6,000 children at age 9. The children of mothers who had periods before the age of 11 were far more likely to have larger BMI measurements and body fat than children whose mother's did not go through puberty until 15 or later. In addition, a more detailed review of childhood growth for more than 900 of the children revealed that offspring of mothers with early puberty grew more rapidly than the others only during the first two years of life and they then remained taller and fatter as children.

"We have identified a remarkable but common inherited growth pattern, starting with rapid infancy growth and weight gain, taller childhood stature, but earlier maturation and completion of growth resulting in slightly shorter adult stature" said Ong. "We knew that age when girls have their first period is an inherited trait, transmitted from mother to child. Now it appears that this trans-generational trait also has important influences on infancy and childhood growth rates and on obesity risks throughout life."

Insulin Pump Therapy in Very Young Children with Diabetes

While the use of insulin infusion pumps in young diabetic children is increasing, there is little information about the long-term effectiveness of this treatment. A study by Dr. Linda DiMeglio of Indiana University compared two groups of preschool children, one that used intensive insulin injection therapy for the first six months before switching to the pump and one that used the pump throughout the study time.

The study measured the level of hemoglobin A1c as well as the body mass index (BMI) at the time of enrollment, time of pump start and at six, 12, 18 and 24 months after pump start. Despite the potential to have a more liberalized diet once the pump was in place, there were no significant increases in BMI for age and hemoglobin A1c levels remained improved.

"The persistent reduction of hemoglobin A1c, during a time when children are transitioning into school and receiving some care outside of the home, is encouraging for the continued use of this technology in very young children," said DiMeglio.

Evaluation and Treatment Patterns for Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes

With the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes increasing in children, it is important to understand the impact of current patterns of treatment and their relationship to controlling symptoms before complications occur. Doctors at the University of Florida in Gainesville, the University of Texas in Houston, the University of Colorado Medical School, the University of South Carolina Medical School, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, TX and Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, OH joined together to review data on nearly 600 young patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The results were sobering: Most children had either worsening or no change in their blood glucose levels over time; this could be attributed to either poor compliance with treatment or simply worsening of the disease following its natural course. In addition, elevations in blood cholesterol or triglycerides were seen in almost one third of patients, and a few of these young patients were already showing signs of nerve and eye damage related to diabetes.

"Despite early onset of complications in patients with Type 2 diabetes, a significant number of young patients are not evaluated for complications and cardiovascular risk factors by pediatric endocrinologists," said Dr. Vanessa Davis, one of the researchers for the study. "Such screening will be particularly important to prevent heart disease, diabetes-related complications and to improve long term quality of life for these children".

Over-the-Counter Products Associated with Young Male Breast Enlargement

University of Colorado School of Medicine Pediatrician Dr. Clifford Bloch noticed that three of his young male patients were developing enlarged breasts - a condition termed gynecomastia. As it turned out, each boy was using skin and hair products containing lavender and/or tea tree oil. Dr. Bloch, along with two researchers from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, Dr. Derek Henley and Dr. Kenneth Korach, decided to investigate the linkage between the essential oils and breast development. In the laboratory, Bloch, Henley and Korach used human breast cancer cells to test the properties of the essential oils.

The researchers found that the oils mimicked estrogen in the cells and at the same time appeared to have a weak effect in suppressing male hormone responsiveness. "Taken together, these data provide evidence that lavender oil and tea tree oil may disrupt the balance of hormonal effects in specific tissues," said Henley. "These findings may explain cases of young males with enlarged breasts who are using these products."

Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones, and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 12,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at http://www.endo-society.org/ .

The Endocrine Society

CONTACT: To obtain copies of the studies mentioned above or to arrangeinterview with the researchers, please contacMeghan Norville of Imre Communications for The Endocrine Society,+1-410-821-8220, cell: +1-443-852-1600, meghann@imrecommunications.com

Web site: http://www.endo-society.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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