Actuality of the problem It is known that obesity starts in early childhood, when the foundations of eating behaviour and metabolic processes are formed in the organism. Objective To investigate leptin level in the blood serum in children of an early age with excessive body mass (EBM) and obesity. Patients and methods We have conducted a complex examination of 120 children of an early age at risk of developing an EBM, EBM, obesity. The examined children were divided into groups according to the results of evaluation of physical development: the 1 st group included children at risk of developing EBM (38 children (31,6%); the 2 nd group included children with EBM (42 children (35,0%); the 3 rd group included children suffering from obesity (40 children (33,4%). Results We have discovered a reliable elevation of leptin level in children suffering from EBM and obesity (7,83±0,76 ng/ml and 21,6±4,60 ng/ml respectively) in comparison with the indicators in children at risk of developing EBM (4,47±0,25 ng/ml) and in children in the control group (2,90±0,21 ng/ ml), (p<0,05).Spetial attention was given to the reliable difference between the values of leptin levels in the examined children depending on their sex. Thus, in girls of the main group the level of leptin was reliably higher if compared to the leptin level in boys, (p<0,05).In order to analyze the obtained results we studied the correlation between the values of body mass index and the level of leptin in the examined children. As a result of the conducted study we investigate sitive correlation between leptin and body mass index (r=0,35; p<0,05) in children at risk of developing EBM, in children having EBM (r=0,4; p<0,05) and in children suffering from obesity (r=0,57; p<0,05). Conclusions It has been established that the level of leptin in children of an early age depends on the body mass and sex of the children. Thus, children with obesity have a reliably higher level of hormone in comparison to the children with excessive body mass. It has been found that the level of leptin in girls is reliably higher if compared to the level of leptin in boys.The role of leptin level in the development of obesity in children of an early age is confirmed by close correlation with body mass index. The elevated level of leptin in children of an early age at risk of developing EBM and suffering from EBM is a possible predictor of obesity development.
