Effects of birth weight on anti-mullerian hormone serum concentrations in infant girls.

CONTEXT

We previously demonstrated that low birth weight (BW) infant girls show increased serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations and poststimulated estradiol levels compared to normal-BW infants, suggesting an altered follicular development. However, the impact of high BW on reproductive function is less known.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of BW on AMH, we determined the concentrations of this hormone in low-BW, normal-BW, and high-BW female infants during the first 3 months of life.

DESIGN

Twenty-seven low-BW, 29 normal-BW, and 28 high-BW infant girls were studied. We measured serum gonadotropins, steroid hormones, AMH, glucose, insulin, free fatty acids, IGF-I, and adiponectin in a fasting blood sample. In addition, in a subgroup of normal-BW (n = 23) and high-BW infants (n = 10), a GnRH analog leuprolide acetate test was performed.

RESULTS

Serum concentrations of AMH were higher in low-BW and high-BW infants compared to normal-BW infants (P = 0.028 and 0.022, respectively). In addition, in high-BW infants, adiponectin concentrations were lower (P = 0.018), and poststimulated FSH and estradiol levels were higher compared to normal-BW infants (P = 0.024 and 0.047, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum AMH and poststimulated estradiol concentrations are increased in low-BW and high-BW female infants, suggesting that these girls may show evidence of an altered follicular development. However, the increased poststimulated FSH levels and low adiponectin concentrations observed in high-BW infants suggest that ovarian function is perturbed through a different mechanism from that in low-BW infants.