A correlative study between maternal cord blood lipid profile and birth anthropometry in full-term newborns

David Barker proposed the hypothesis of the “Fetal origin of cardiovascular disease” in 1995, suggesting that the origins of the disease can be traced back to in-utero conditions and adaptations that occur in undernourished fetuses during middle-to-late gestation. The objective of this hospital-based cross-sectional comparative study, conducted from February 2021 to August 2022, was to compare cord blood lipid profiles between Small for Gestational Age (SGA) and Appropriate for Gestational Age (AGA) full-term newborns. A total of 59 SGA babies were enrolled as the study group, while 59 healthy AGA babies were included as the control group. Written informed consent was obtained, and relevant maternal data were collected. Cord blood samples were collected immediately after delivery and sent for lipid profiling. All babies were examined, and anthropometric variables were recorded, and they were classified into SGA or AGA using AIIMS Intrauterine growth charts and Ponderal index. Comparisons of cord blood lipid profile parameters were made between neonatal groups based on gestational age. The study found that Total Cholesterol (TC) and Triglycerides (TG) levels were significantly higher in SGA babies compared to AGA babies. However, the differences in other parameters, such as High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), were statistically insignificant between the two groups. The findings suggest that SGA neonates have elevated lipid profiles compared to AGA neonates, indicating that maternal changes during gestation may have a significant impact on neonatal lipid metabolism. Therefore, close monitoring for cardiovascular morbidities early in life is recommended for SGA newborns.