Umbilical cord serum metabolomics identifies amino acid alterations associated with impaired linear growth in small for gestational age infants.

ABSTRACT: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants exhibit considerable heterogeneity in growth trajectories and metabolic outcomes; however, the metabolic basis underlying these variations remains incompletely understood. In this study, we analyzed umbilical cord serum samples from term infants (n = 52; SGA infants, n = 18; appropriate-for-gestational-age controls, n = 34) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to explore metabolic profiles. Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed that SGA infants exhibited significantly altered levels of metabolites involved in galactose metabolism, lactose degradation, and multiple pathways related to carbohydrate and energy metabolism. Further subgroup analysis demonstrated that SGA infants with both low weight and short birth length displayed distinct

SUBMITTER: Inoue M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12304126 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature