Abstract
Background: To determine the association of cord blood and maternal leptin levels with neonatal birth weight in preterm deliveries, intrauterine growth retarded neonates, and term neonates.
Materials and Methods: Sixty parturients were enrolled in this prospective observational study and data of fifty-one parturients were analyzed. There were nine dropouts. Of these patients 20 had intrauterine growth restriction (Group I), 15 had moderate preterm labor (Group II), and 16 had labor with normal term pregnancies (Group III). Obstetric and demographic data were recorded for the mothers and neonates. Cord blood sampling was done just before clamping of the cord and maternal venous blood was sampled within five minutes after parturition.
Results: Mean cord blood leptin levels in Groups I, Group II, and Group III were 2.29±2.92, 0.93±0.64, and 2.26±1.78 respectively. Maternal leptin levels in Group I, Group II, and Group III were 8.79±5.92, 4.91±3.76, and 5.83±4.36. Mean birth weights were 2395±461g in Group I, 2142±464 g in Group II, and 3472±419 g in Group III. There was no statistically significant difference in neonatal birth weight between Group I and Group II (p=0.487), whereas the difference was significant for both Group I and Group II compared to Group III (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Leptin has an essential role in intrauterine fetal growth. Cord blood leptin concentrations have a positive correlation with neonatal birth weight in preterm fetuses.

Key words: Leptin, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm labor, pregnancy