The aim of this study was to establish the manner in which the LEPR 223, 1019, 492, and 976 gene polymorphisms influence child obesity.We performed a prospective case-control study on 264 hospitalized children from Romania (Nutrichild study) whom we divided into 2 groups: Group I -143 controls and Group II-121 obese children.The 2 groups were evaluated regarding the anthropometry (MUAC, TST, H/L, hip, and abdominal circumference), paraclinical results (protein, leptin, adiponectin, TNF alfa, IL 6, IL 8, VEGF, protein, albumin) and LEPR 223, 1019, 492, and 976 gene polymorphisms. We noticed that the most frequent genotypes in obese children were AG+GG for LEPR 223 gene (P = 0.0001) and GA+AA for LEPR 1019 gene (P = 0.0001), whereas LEPR 492 and LEPR 976 gene polymorphisms did not correlate with obesity. MUAC, TST, H/L, leptin, and adiponectin were correlated with the GG genotype of the LEPR 223 gene, whereas the AG genotype correlated with TNF alpha and serum IL 8. Hip and abdominal perimeters were higher in LEPR 1019 AA genotype carriers, whereas TNF alpha and IL 6 correlated with the GG genotype of the same gene. Obesity did not correlate with protein serum levels.We observed that obesity is more frequent in children with LEPR 223 AG+GG and LEPR 1019 GA+AA genotypes. In obese children LEPR 223/492/1019 AG/GG/GA, GG/GG/GA and AA/GG/GA combined genotypes are more frequent.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in bone health and musculoskeletal development. The aim of this narrative review is to present up-to-date information about the impact of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) on the health status of infants in their first year of life. Vitamin D is indispensable for skeletal growth and bone health, and emerging research suggests that it may also have significant roles in maternal and fetal health. VDD affects a large proportion of infants according to current guidelines. However, its prevalence varies depending on geographic location, skin pigmentation, and the time of year. Based on current guidelines for normal vitamin D levels and recommended daily intake, studies suggest that VDD is a global health issue with potentially significant implications for those at risk, especially infants. Our understanding of the role of vitamin D has improved significantly in the last few decades. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses investigating the effect of vitamin D on preterm birth, low birth weight, anthropometric parameters, and health outcomes such as infectious diseases in infants, have found conflicting or inconsistent results. It is important to encourage further research to fill in these knowledge gaps and develop national or global strategies that ease the burden of VDD, especially in groups at risk.

The present study had 2 objectives, first, to investigate possible relationships between increased gestational weight gain and demographic, clinical, paraclinical, genetic, and bioimpedance (BIA) characteristics of Romanian mothers, and second, to identify the influence of predictors (maternal and newborns characteristics) on our outcome birth weight (BW). We performed a cross-sectional study on 309 mothers and 309 newborns from Romania, divided into 2 groups: Group I—141 mothers with high gestational weight gain (GWG) and Group II—168 mothers with normal GWG, that is, control group. The groups were evaluated regarding demographic, anthropometric (body mass index [BMI], middle upper arm circumference, tricipital skinfold thickness, weight, height [H]), clinical, paraclinical, genetic (interleukin 6 [IL-6]: IL-6 -174G>C and IL-6 -572C>G gene polymorphisms), and BIA parameters. We noticed that fat mass (FM), muscle mass (MM), bone mass (BM), total body water (TBW), basal metabolism rate (BMR) and metabolic age (P < 0.001), anthropometric parameters (middle upper arm circumference, tricipital skinfold thickness; P < 0.001/P = 0.001) and hypertension (odds ratio = 4.65, 95% confidence interval: 1.27–17.03) were higher in mothers with high GWG. BW was positively correlated with mothers’ FM (P < 0.001), TBW (P = 0.001), BMR (P = 0.02), while smoking was negatively correlated with BW (P = 0.04). Variant genotype (GG+GC) of the IL-6 -572C>G polymorphism was higher in the control group (P = 0.042). We observed that high GWG may be an important predictor factor for the afterward BW, being positively correlated with FM, TBW, BMR, metabolic age of the mothers, and negatively with the mother's smoking status. Variant genotype (GG+GC) of the IL-6 -572C>G gene polymorphism is a protector factor against obesity in mothers. All the variables considered explained 14.50% of the outcome variance.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of mothers' and newborns' fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) rs9939609 and leptin receptor (LEPR) rs1137101 gene polymorphisms on neonatal anthropometric parameters in order to identify a potential risk for developing obesity.We performed a cross-sectional study on 355 mother-newborn couples in an Obstetrics Gynecology Tertiary Hospital from Romania, evaluated with regard to anthropometric parameters, clinical and laboratory parameters besides 2 genetic polymorphisms (FTO rs9939609 and LEPR rs1137101).Newborns with mothers carrying variant AT or AA genotype for FTO rs9939609 presented lower BMI (P = 0.012) and lower MUAC (P = 0.029). There was a significant interaction effect between newborn and mother LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism on birth weight (P = 0.009) and BMI (P = 0.007). We noticed significantly increased birth weight and BMI in newborns carriers of AG + GG genotype, coming from mothers with AA genotype (P = 0.006). There was no evidence of significant interaction effect between newborn and mother FTO rs9939609 polymorphism on the studied anthropometrical data (P > 0.05). In addition, lower BMI scores (P = 0.042) were observed in newborns carriers of TT genotype whose mothers had AA + AT genotype. Lower MUAC scores (P = 0.041) were noticed in newborns carriers of AA + AT genotype whose mothers had AA + AT genotype for FTO rs9939609 gene polymorphism. Newborns carriers of the AG + GG genotype (P = 0.003) of LEPR rs1137101 coming from mothers with increased FMI (upper tertile) had significantly increased BMIs.Presence of the variant A allele of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism in mothers decreased BMI and MUAC in newborns. The impact of LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism on BMI and birth weight in newborns differed depending on the presence/absence of the dominant LEPR allele in mothers. In addition, we noticed that maternal FMI presented a significant positive effect on newborns' BMI by changing the effect of LEPR rs1137101.We can conclude that mothers' FTO rs9939609 and LEPR rs1137101 gene polymorphisms presented an impact on birth weight and newborns' BMI, therefore being involved in the newborns' nutritional status and in the design of a potential protocol.