Dataset Information

Hematopoietic cellular aging is not accelerated during the first 2 years of life in children born preterm.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prematurity in itself and exposure to neonatal intensive care triggers inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, leading to risk for disease later in life. The effects on cellular aging processes are incompletely understood.

Methods

Relative telomere length (RTL) was measured by qPCR in this longitudinal cohort study with blood samples taken at birth and at 2 years of age from 60 children (16 preterm and 44 term). Viral respiratory infections the first year were evaluated. Epigenetic biological DNA methylation (DNAm) age was predicted based on methylation array data in 23 children (11 preterm and 12 term). RTL change/year and DNAm age change/year was compared in preterm and term during the 2 first years of life.

Results

Preterm infants had longer telomeres than term born at birth and at 2 years of age, but no difference in telomere attrition rate could be detected. Predicted epigenetic DNAm age was younger in preterm infants, but rate of DNAm aging was similar in both groups.

Conclusions

Despite early exposure to risk factors for accelerated cellular aging, children born preterm exhibited preserved telomeres. Stress during the neonatal intensive care period did not reflect accelerated epigenetic DNAm aging. Early-life aging was not explained by preterm birth.

Impact

Preterm birth is associated with elevated disease risk later in life. Preterm children often suffer from inflammation early in life. Stress-related telomere erosion during neonatal intensive care has been proposed. Inflammation-accelerated biological aging in preterm is unknown. We find no accelerated aging due to prematurity or infections during the first 2 years of life.

SUBMITTER: Henckel E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7086539 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundPreterm and small for gestational age (SGA) remain significant public health concerns worldwide. Yet limited evidence exists on their growth patterns during childhood from low-or middle-income countries.ObjectivesWe investigated the postnatal growth patterns of preterm and SGA compared to term appropriate for gestational age (AGA) children from birth to 10-11y, and examined the impact of birth status on child nutritional status during the school age years.MethodsChildren born to women who participated in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial of preconception micronutrient supplementation in Vietnam were classified into three groups: preterm AGA (n = 130), full-term SGA (n = 165) and full-term AGA (n = 1,072). Anthropometric data (weight and height) were collected prospectively at birth, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months and at 6-7 and 10-11y. We used ANOVA and multiple regression models to examine the differences in growth patterns from birth to 10-11y as well as child undernutrition and overnutrition by birth status.ResultsChildren who were born preterm exhibited rapid postnatal growth, but still had lower HAZ at 1y and 2y and showed catch up to the AGA group at 6y. Compared to those born AGA, SGA infants had higher risk of thinness (BMIZ < -2) at 2y and 6y (adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR [95% CI] 2.5 [1.0, 6.1] and 2.6 [1.4, 4.6], respectively); this risk reduced at 10-11y (1.6 [0.9, 2.8]). The risk of stunting (HAZ < -2) was also 2.4 [1.5, 3.8] and 2.3 times [1.2, 4.1] higher in SGA than AGA group at ages 2y and 6-7y, respectively, with no differences at 10y. Although preterm children had higher rates of thinness and stunting at 2y compared to AGA children, these differences were not statistically significant. No associations were found between preterm or SGA and overweight /obesity at age 10-11y.ConclusionChildren who were born term-SGA continued to demonstrate deficits in weight and height during childhood whereas those born preterm showed catch-up growth by age 6-7y. Additional efforts to reduce the burden of these conditions are needed, particularly during school-age and early adolescents when children are exposed to challenging environments and have higher demands for nutrition.

Project description:Aim: Long-term outcome data in preterm children is often limited to cross-sectional measurement of neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at the corrected age of 24-36 months. However, impairments may only become overt during childhood or resolve with time, and individual trajectories in outcome over time may vary. The primary aim of this study was to describe NDI in very preterm born children at three subsequent ages of 2, 5, and 8 years of age. As a secondary aim, a longitudinal analysis was performed on the individual longitudinal trajectories in NDI from 2 to 8 years of age. Methods: Single-center prospective cohort study including children born between 1990 and 2011 below 30 weeks' gestation and followed into 2019. The outcome measurement was NDI assessed at 2, 5, and 8 years of age. NDI is a composite score that includes cognitive, neurological, visual, and auditory functions, in which problems were categorized as none, mild, moderate, or severe. Cognitive function measured as total DQ/IQ score was assessed by standardized psychometric tests. Neurological, visual, and auditory functions were assessed by the neonatologist. Results: In total, 921 children were eligible for follow-up, of whom 726 (79%) children were assessed. No NDI was seen in 54, 54, and 62%, mild NDI was seen in 31, 36, and 30%, and moderate-to-severe NDI was seen in 15, 9.2, and 8.6% of the children at 2, 5, and 8 years, respectively. From 2 to 8 years, 63% of the children remained in the same NDI category, 20% of the children improved to a better NDI category, and 17% deteriorated toward a worse NDI category. No differences were found in baseline characteristics of infants that improved or deteriorated. Extreme prematurity, male gender and low parental education were associated with worse NDI status at all time points. Although we observed considerable individual variation over time in NDI status, the course of the trajectories in NDI were not associated with gestation, gender, and parental education. Conclusions: Continued follow-up until school life is essential in order to provide optimal and individually focused referrals and care when needed.