Intrauterine Growth Retardation, Insulin Resistance, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children
Response to Fraser et al.
- Giulio Marchesini, MD1,
- Valerio Nobili, MD2 and
- Elisabetta Bugianesi, MD3
- 1Unit of Clinical Dietetics, “Alma Mater Studiorum” University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- 2Liver Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
- 3Department of Gastroenterology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Address correspondence to Giulio Marchesini, MD, Unit of Clinical Dietetics, “Alma Mater Studiorum” University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, 9, Via Massarenti, I-40138 Bologna, Italy. E-mail: giulio.marchesini{at}unibo.it
In the comment by Fraser et al. (1) to our report (2), several issues were raised that were not settled in our study. The first problem is the persistence (into adulthood) of the insulin resistance generated by intrauterine growth retardation (defined as small for gestational age [SGA]) and its potential for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Very-low birth weight confers an increased susceptibility to insulin resistance and metabolic diseases in adulthood …
