OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of daily movements on weight gain, serum leptin, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in premature infants. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty very-low-birth-weight premature infants were matched and randomized to a daily movement (n = 10) and control groups (n = 10). Daily movement consisted of passive range of motion with gentle compression of both the upper and lower extremities 5 days per week for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Daily movements led to a significant increase in weight gain (784 +/- 51 versus 608 +/- 26 g in movements and controls, respectively, p < 0.02), and to a significant increase in leptin (0.60 +/- 0.19 versus 0.13 +/- 0.06 ng/ml in movements and controls, respectively 18.8 +/- 4.1 versus 9.2 +/- 4.1 ng/ml in movements and controls, respectively); however, this increase was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: A relatively brief range of motion daily movement intervention was associated with greater weight gain and increased leptin levels in very-low-birth-weight premature infants. This may suggest that at least part of the daily movements associated with increase in body weight resulted from an increase in adipose tissue.
Reprinted by permission from Journal of Perinatology, Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

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