Metabolic Weak Spots for Babies Born Prematurely

While modern science has worked miracles to help premature babies survive and thrive, some types of development seem to only take place while the baby is in the womb. Two such areas are the kidneys and the appetite control center in the brain. Studies indicate that these are metabolic weak spots for premature babies which must be managed well to avoid health challenges. This issue is relevant to many, as 12% - 14% of babies in the U.S. are born prematurely.

Australian researchers¹ have demonstrated that premature babies, even those born just a few weeks prematurely, have fewer kidney cells (nephrons). This is because optimal kidney development takes place in the last few weeks of pregnancy. The average full-term baby has 800,000 – 1,500,000 nephrons, whereas premature babies have 400,000 – 600,000. The number you have at birth is the number you have for life, impacting the optimal structure of your kidneys. 

Weak kidneys set the stage for high blood pressure later in life. Kidneys must also be able to keep up with adrenaline (stress demands) and toxins. This means that weaker kidneys will be more readily affected by stress and toxins – including toxins coming from digestive imbalance. Weaker kidneys do not automatically mean a person will end up with high blood pressure, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease – but it does mean the person has less tolerance for “abuse.”  In other words, the “luxury” of a junk food diet is not an option.

A diet of fresh foods, rich in magnesium, potassium, and plant polyphenols antioxidant shown to affect cell-to-cell signaling, receptor sensitivity, inflammatory enzyme activity or gene regulation. Found in many different fruits, vegetables, red wine, grains, honey, and legumes. is of great importance to help avert kidney problems. A good diet can be fortified with dietary supplements containing these nutrients, along with strategies such as eating yogurt and/or taking acidophilus to have fewer urinary tract and digestive tract germ imbalances that will pose a toxic challenge to the kidneys. 

In another study researchers at UCLA² found that animals that were born prematurely, had fewer neurons in the appetite control center in their brain – meaning they lacked an ability to accurately gauge proper levels of food intake. Obviously, this contributes to overeating and risk for becoming overweight and obese.

“This study demonstrates the importance of maternal nutrition and health in reducing obesity,” said Dr. Mina Desai, an LA BioMed principal investigator and corresponding author of the new study. “Obesity and its related diseases are the leading cause of death in our society, yet we have few effective strategies for prevention or treatment. These studies suggest maternal nutrition could play a critical role in preventing obesity and related disease.”

This data means that if a baby is born prematurely, you should never excessively feed the baby to gain weight rapidly to “catch up,” as has been the medical advice for a long time. It also means a child needs to develop good eating habits and not get addicted to high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods, nor chemical taste addictions found in many branded flavors.

It is my belief that enough proper training relating to eating, such as following the Leptin Diet and eating high quality food, can still train the proper circuitry into the brain, so that food issues and body weight do not need to be a big issue later in life. However, those born prematurely have a weak spot in their brain’s appetite control center and if early life training does not compensate, then that child is likely to have struggles with appetite, body weight, and many other health issues.