| Popis: |
Introduction: Leptin is a hormone present in breast milk, but not in formula, which regulates food intake and energy metabolism; it could be one of the factors involved in preventing obesity. Breast milk leptin provides a physiologic explanation for some of the advantages seen in normal growth, regulation of energy intake and immunological status in breast-fed (BF) compared with formula-fed (FF) infants. Aim: To see whether leptin levels are different in BF or FF infants in the first months of life. Methods: We studied 186 AGA healthy infants, in the first 22 m, without any disease of the gastrointestinal tract, admitted to our Department during the period between June 2000 and August 2003. Serum leptin concentration was determined at least 3 h post-feeding by RIA test (LEP-R44 Mediagnostic, Reutlingen, Germany). For each infant the parents filled up a form for the Ethical Committee. Statistical Analysis: Student t-test was performed. Statistical significance was set at p |
