The association between Cytosine-Adenosine (CA)10-24 repeats polymorphism in promoter region of th IGF-I gene and early growth in 196 infants with birth weight appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and 26 small for gestational age (SGA) was analyzed. No differences in the frequency of wild type allele with (CA)19 repeats and variant carriers were observed between AGA and SGA.
The average birth weight and lenght in AGA with (CA)19 homozygotes were lower in comparison with AGA variant carriers but all observed anthropometric differences disappeared at the age of 18 months. (CA)n repeats polymorphism in IGF-I gene might affect prenatal growth in AGA children, but variable number of (CA) n repeats have no impact on postnatal growth.