gms | German Medical Science

From 1980 to 2010, the global prevalence of adiposity doubled [1]. Consequently, the pathological phenomenon of this disease turns out to be a leading global health problem. Men and women are equally affected. Actually, obesity and overweight are globally contributing to about 2.8 million deaths each year, caused by severe as well as pleiotropic developing secondary disorders [2]. The high prevalence of adiposity in both developing and developed countries suggests that nutrition-related factors as well as dietary habits in early life play an essential role towards the development of this epidemic. Taken together, strong evidence exists that adverse lifestyle factors during the perinatal period of a human’s life dramatically affect the well-being in childhood and adolescence [3]. In Austria, the prevalence of overweight has increased during the last four years (2008 to 2012) among girls from 10% to 16% and among boys from 12% to 17% [4]. Thus, national economy is disadvantageously affected by adiposity.

The first 1000 days of life are crucial regarding the metabolic programming concerning the overall metabolism of a human being [5]. During this period, the imprinting of regulation at the level of gene expression as well as at the level of metabolic pathways takes irreversibly place. Therefore, development of various pathologies in adulthood are strongly predetermined. Hence, the current study intensively emphasizes the perinatal period of life from different perspectives. By means of carefully performed anamnesis, recruitment of 80 mother-child pairs is ongoing. We employ validated feeding questionnaires as well as standardized techniques for the measurement of anthropometric parameters (PeaPod, BodPod, pulse oximetry, surface electromyography), for the quantification of macronutrients in breast milk (MIRIS breast milk analyzer), and high-performance methods and equipment for quantitative analyses regarding biomarkers and micronutrients (immunological procedures, mass spectrometry).

During the first four months of life, we investigate differences with respect to body composition and feeding behavior between breast-fed and formula-fed infants relying on the daily uptake volume of milk (the volume study). In the course of the follow-up study, i.e. at one and two years of childhood, respectively, molecular biomarkers of inflammation (adipokines, cytokines), of oxidative stress (oxidation products of DNA, proteins and membrane lipids), the hormone status (HPA- and HPT axis), as well as the biological availability of micronutrients (vitamins, trace elements) are measured. Moreover, the microbiome of the subject groups is analyzed. To summarize, anthropometric target variables are correlated with molecular parameters in order to unambiguously unveil unique factors that very likely contribute to the etiology of adiposity during early childhood. The control over aforementioned factors might help to develop targeted programs tailored for newborns aiming at the prevention of this metabolic disease before the onset of irreversible manifestation. As a result, this study might noticeably contribute to enhance public health.

Ethical criteria and conflict of interests: The research was submitted to an ethics committee. The work was financed by third party funds from Christian Doppler Research Society, Vienna, Austria (https://www.cdg.ac.at/); Milupa Austria, Hallein, Austria. The following conflicts of interest exist: Membership Milupa Advisory Board - van der Kleyn

The PDF file of the poster submitted for the meeting is available in English as Attachment 1 [Attach. 1].