Maternal nutrition in early and late pregnancy in relation to placental and fetal growth.

OBJECTIVE: To assess how nutrient intakes of mothers in early and late pregnancy influence placental and fetal growth. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Princess Anne Maternity Hospital, Southampton. SUBJECTS: 538 mothers who delivered at term. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Placental and birth weights adjusted for the infant''s sex and duration of gestation. RESULTS: Mothers who had high carbohydrate intakes in early pregnancy had babies with lower placental and birth weights. Low maternal intakes of dairy and meat protein in late pregnancy were also associated with lower placental and birth weights. Placental weight fell by 49 g(95% confidence interval 16 g to 81 g; P=0.002) for each log g increase in intake of carbohydrate in early pregnancy and by 1.4 g (0.4 g to 2.4 g; P=0.005) for each g decrease in intake of dairy protein in late pregnancy. Birth weight fell by 165 g (49 g to 282 g; P=0.005) for each log g increase in carbohydrate intake in early pregnancy and by 3.1 g (0.3 g to 6.0 g; P=0.03) for each g decrease in meat protein intake in late pregnancy. These associations were independent of the mother''s height and body mass index and of strong relations between the mother''s birth weight and the placental and birth weights of her offspring. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a high carbohydrate intake in early pregnancy suppresses placental growth, especially if combined with a low dairy protein intake in late pregnancy. Such an effect could have long term consequences for the offspring''s risk of cardiovascular disease.     

Mother's weight in pregnancy and coronary heart disease in a cohort of Finnish men: follow up study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether restricted growth in utero is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease are among men in Finland, where rates of the disease are among the highest in the world. DESIGN: Follow up study. SETTING: Helsinki, Finland. SUBJECTS: 3302 men born in Helsinki University Central Hospital during 1924-33 who went to school in the city of Helsinki and were resident in Finalnd in 1971. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Standardised mortality ratios for coronary heart disease. RESULTS: Men who were thin at birth, with low placental weight, had high death rates from coronary heart disease. Men whose mothers had a high body mass index in pregnancy also had high death rates. In a multivariate analysis the hazard ratio for coronary heart disease was 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.20 to 1.57) (P < 0.0001) for every standard deviation decrease in ponderal index at birth and 1.24 (1.10 to 1.39) (P = 0.0004) for every standard deviation increase in mother''s body mass index. The effect of mother''s body mass index was restricted to mothers of below average stature. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a new explanation for the epidemics of coronary heart disease that accompany Westernisation. Chronically malnourished women are short and light and their babies tend to be thin. The immediate effect of improved nutrition is that women become fat, which seems to increase the risk of coronary heart disease in the next generation. With continued improvements in nutrition, women become taller and heavier; their babies are adequately nourished; and maternal fatness no longer increases the risk of coronary heart disease, which therefore declines.     

Blood Pressure in Adolescence and Early Adulthood Related to Obesity and Birth Size

Objective: Obesity is an established risk factor for higher systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in adolescence and early adulthood, but birth size may also have a role. We analyzed the effects of adolescent and adult obesity and birth size on BP in the young adult. Research Methods and Procedures: In a prospective longitudinal study, anthropometric measurements were obtained at birth on 67 boys and 67 girls bom in Boston. Their body mass indices (BMI) and BP were recorded 17 years and 30 years later. Results: For women, adolescent and early adult obesity appeared to be the stronger determinants of higher BP, although smaller head and chest circumferences at birth may also be related. We found some evidence of birth (ponderal index [PI] and head circumference) anthropometric influences on age 17 BP levels in boys. By age 30, body mass variables were the dominant predictors of male BP levels. Female BMI at age 17 was positively correlated with birth adiposity (PI), but BMI at 30 was related only to age 17 BMI. Similarly, male BMI at 17 years was higher for those who weighed more at birth, but BMI at 30 years was again related only to age 17 BMI. Discussion: We conclude that adult weight and weight gain are the major determinants of adult BP.     

200例先天性尿道下裂患儿的临床特征及其危险因素分析

目的:研究200例先天性尿道下裂患儿的临床特征及其危险因素。方法:选择2016年1月~2019年12月我院收治的先天性尿道下裂患儿200例进行研究,记作观察组,另取同期于我院接受体检的健康儿童200例作为对照组,分析观察组患儿的临床分型情况,比较两组儿童父母的一般情况、儿童出生情况,并采用多因素Logistic回归分析先天性尿道下裂的影响因素。结果:200例先天性尿道下裂患儿临床分型按照占比从高到低的顺序依次为阴茎体型46.50%(93/200)、阴茎阴囊型28.00%(56/200)、冠状沟型17.00%(34/200)、阴囊型4.50%(9/200)、阴茎头型3.00%(6/200)、会阴型1.00%(2/200)。观察组父亲生活性接触化学物、母亲流产史、母亲孕期饮食缺乏肉类、母亲孕期饮食缺乏鱼类、母亲孕期应用保胎药、母亲孕期吸烟或被动吸烟人数占比均高于对照组(均P<0.05)。观察组早产、低出生体重人数占比高于对照组(均P<0.05)。经多因素Logistic回归分析显示,父亲生活性接触化学物、母亲流产史、母亲孕期饮食缺乏肉类、母亲孕期饮食缺乏鱼类、母亲孕期应用保胎药、母亲孕期吸烟或被动吸烟、早产、低出生体重均是先天性尿道下裂的危险因素(均P<0.05)。结论:先天性尿道下裂患儿临床分型以阴茎体型为主,双亲不良生活习惯、化学物接触史以及早产、低出生体重均是先天性尿道下裂的危险因素,值得临床重点关注。     

Size-at-birth standards for an urban Canadian population.

By random sampling of all births occurring in Hamilton, Ont. over an 18-month period the percentile distributions of the newborn infants'' weight, length, and head and chest circumferences were determined. The resulting standards may be used in the clinical evaluation of size for gestational age. The smoothed 50th percentile values for newborns of 40 weeks gestational age were as follows for boys and girls respectively: birth weight 3530 and 3355 g, crown-heel length 52.0 and 51.3 cm, head circumference 35.2 and 34.4 cm, and chest circumference 33.4 and 32.8 cm. The mother''s height averaged 160.8 +/- 6.1 cm and her weight before the pregnancy 59.2 +/- 10.5 kg. The prevalence of cigarette smoking during pregnancy was 34.8%.     

Early-life determinants of total and HDL cholesterol concentrations in 8-year-old children; the PIAMA birth cohort study

Background

Adult cholesterol concentrations might be influenced by early-life factors, such as breastfeeding and birth weight, referred to as “early programming”. How such early factors exert their influence over the life course is still poorly understood. Evidence from studies in children and adolescents is scarce and conflicting. We investigated the influence of 6 different perinatal risk factors on childhood total and HDL cholesterol concentrations and total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio measured at 8 years of age, and additionally we studied the role of the child''s current Body Mass Index (BMI).

Methods

Anthropometric measures and blood plasma samples were collected during a medical examination in 751 8-year-old children participating in the prospective Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) birth cohort study. Linear and logistic regression were performed to estimate associations of total and HDL cholesterol concentrations with breastfeeding, birth weight, infant weight gain, maternal overweight before pregnancy, gestational diabetes and maternal smoking during pregnancy, taking into account the child''s current BMI.

Results

Linear regressions showed an association between total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio and maternal pre-pregnancy overweight (β = 0.15, Confidence Interval 95% (CI): 0.02, 0.28), rapid infant weight gain (β = 0.13, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.26), and maternal smoking during pregnancy (β = 0.14, 95%CI: 0.00, 0.29). These associations were partly mediated by the child''s BMI.

Conclusion

Total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio in 8-year-old children was positively associated with maternal pre-pregnancy overweight, maternal smoking during pregnancy and rapid infant weight gain.     

Maternal fatness and viability of preterm infants

To investigate the effect of maternal fatness on the mortality of infants born preterm up to the corrected age of 18 months 795 mother-infant pairs were studied. Maternal fatness was defined by Quetelet''s index (weight/(height²)) and all infants weighed less than 1850 g at birth. In 771 mother-infant pairs maternal age, complications of pregnancy, mode of delivery, parity, social class, and the baby''s sex and gestation were analysed by a logistic regression model for associations with infant mortality (but deaths from severe congenital abnormalities and those occurring during the first 48 hours after birth were excluded). In a subgroup of 284 mother-infant pairs all infant deaths except those from severe congenital abnormalities were analysed in association with the infant''s birth weight and gestation and the mother''s height and weight; this second analysis included another 24 infants who had died within 48 hours after birth. In the first analysis mortality overall was 7% (55/771), rising from 4% (71/173) in thin mothers (Quetelet''s index <20) to 15% (6/40) in mothers with grades II and III obesity (Quetelet''s index >30). After adjusting for major demographic and antenatal factors, including serious complications of pregnancy, maternal fatness was second in importance only to length of gestation in predicting death of infants born preterm. In the second analysis mortality overall was 15% (44/284), rising from 9% (5/53) in thin mothers to 47% (8/17) in mothers with grades II and III obesity. In both analyses the relative risk of death by 18 months post-term was nearly four times greater in infants born to obese mothers than in those born to thin mothers. In addition, maternal fatness was associated with reduced birth weight, whereas it is associated with macrosomia in term infants.These data differ fundamentally from those reported in full term babies of obese mothers. It is speculated that the altered metabolic milieu in obesity may reduce the ability of the fetus to adapt to extrauterine life if it is born preterm.     

Weight at Birth and Subsequent Fecundability: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective

To examine the association between a woman''s birth weight and her subsequent fecundability.

Method

In this prospective cohort study, we included 2,773 Danish pregnancy planners enrolled in the internet-based cohort study “Snart-Gravid”, conducted during 2007–2012. Participants were 18–40 years old at study entry, attempting to conceive, and were not receiving fertility treatment. Data on weight at birth were obtained from the Danish Medical Birth Registry and categorized as <2,500 grams, 2,500–2,999 grams, 3,000–3,999 grams, and ≥4,000 grams. In additional analyses, birth weight was categorized according to z-scores for each gestational week at birth. Time-to-pregnancy measured in cycles was used to compute fecundability ratios (FR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), using a proportional probabilities regression model.

Results

Relative to women with a birth weight of 3,000–3,999 grams, FRs adjusted for gestational age, year of birth, and maternal socio-demographic and medical factors were 0.99 (95% CI: 0.73;1.34), 0.99 (95% CI: 0.87;1.12), and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.94;1.24) for birth weight <2,500 grams, 2,500–2,999 grams, and ≥4,000 grams, respectively. Estimates remained unchanged after further adjustment for markers of the participant''s mother''s fecundability. We obtained similar results when we restricted to women who were born at term, and to women who had attempted to conceive for a maximum of 6 cycles before study entry. Results remained similar when we estimated FRs according to z-scores of birth weight.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that birth weight appears not to be an important determinant of fecundability.     

Mothers' birth weight and survival of their offspring: population based study.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that a baby''s survival is related to the mother''s birth weight. DESIGN: Population based dataset for two generations. SETTING: Population registry in Norway. SUBJECTS: All birth records for women born in Norway since 1967 were linked to births during 1981-94, thereby forming 105104 mother-offspring units. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perinatal mortality specific for weight for offspring in groups of maternal birth weight (with 500 g categories in both). RESULTS: A mother''s birth weight was strongly associated with the weight of her baby. Maternal birth weight was associated with perinatal survival of her baby only for mothers with birth weights under 2000 g. These mothers were more likely to lose a baby in the perinatal period (odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 3.7). Among mothers with a birth weight over 2000 g there was no overall association between mother''s weight and infant survival. There was, however, a strong interaction between mother''s birth weight, infant birth weight, and infant survival. Mortality among small babies was much higher for those whose mothers had been large at birth. For example, babies weighing 2500-2999 g had a threefold higher mortality if their mother''s birth weight had been high (> or = 4000 g) than if the mother had been small (2500-2999 g). CONCLUSION: Mothers who weighed less than 2000 g at birth have a higher risk of losing their own babies. For mothers who weighed > or = 2000 g their birth weight provides a benchmark for judging the growth of their offspring. Babies who are small relative to their mother''s birth weight are at increased risk of mortality.     

Gestational and early life influences on infant body composition at 1 year

Excess weight gain during both pre‐ and postnatal life increases risk for obesity in later life. Although a number of gestational and early life contributors to this effect have been identified, there is a dearth of research to examine whether gestational factors and weight gain velocity in infancy exert independent effects on subsequent body composition and fat distribution.

Objective:

To test the hypothesis that birth weight, as a proxy of prenatal weight gain, and rate of weight gain before 6 months would be associated with total and truncal adiposity at 12 months of age.

Design and Methods:

Healthy, term infants (N = 47) were enrolled in the study and rate of weight gain (g/day) was assessed at 0‐3 months, 3‐6 months, and 6‐12 months.

Results:

Total and regional body composition were measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 12 months. Stepwise linear regression modeling indicated that lean mass at 12 months, after adjusting for child length, was predicted by rate of weight gain during each discrete period of infancy (P < 0.05), and by maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI (P < 0.05). Total fat mass at 12 months was predicted by rate of weight gain during each discrete period (P < 0.01), and by older maternal age at delivery (P < 0.05). Trunk fat mass at 12 months, after adjusting for leg fat mass, was predicted by rate of weight gain from 0‐3 months and 3‐6 months (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Results suggest that growth during early infancy may be a critical predictor of subsequent body composition and truncal fat distribution.     

Maternal Cadmium Levels During Pregnancy and the Relationship with Preeclampsia and Fetal Biometric Parameters

Preeclampsia, which is caused by multiple factors, still remains one of the most serious complications of pregnancy. This study was designed to determine cadmium levels in women with preeclampsia compared to those of normotensive women. In this case-control study, maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and placental cadmium levels were measured by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry system in 51 women presenting consecutively with preeclampsia and 51 normotensive pregnant women. Groups were matched for maternal age, parity, and gestational age. Birth outcomes were recorded, such as gestational age at delivery, birth weight, and Apgar score. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) blood cadmium concentration was 1.21 μg/L (0.76–1.84 μg/L) and 1.09 μg/L (0.72–1.31 μg/L) in women with preeclampsia and normotensive, respectively; values for placental cadmium levels of women with preeclampsia and normotensive were 3.61 μg/kg (2.19–4.37 μg/kg) and 4.28 μg/kg (3.06–5.71 μg/kg), respectively. We observed a statistically significant increase in blood and placental cadmium levels in women with preeclampsia compared to healthy pregnant women. After adjusting for pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal age, parity, gestational age at sample collection, and maternal calcium and magnesium levels, the odds ratio of having preeclampsia in the high tertile was markedly increased (odds ratio, 7.83 [95% CI, 1.64–37.26]) compared with the low tertile. Interestingly, there was no difference in the cadmium level in umbilical cord blood between the groups. Within the preeclamptic group, higher cadmium status was significantly associated with decreased birth weight. Our study suggested that elevated cadmium level in the maternal circulation could potentially increase the risk of preeclampsia. The results also demonstrate that higher cadmium status may contribute to fetal growth restriction in preeclamptic patients.     

Sex differences in body composition early in life

Background: Early development of the percentage of fat and muscle is rarely considered, but is important because excessive fat is related to the development of diabetes and other morbidities later in life. In pediatric medicine, there are few to no data comparing sex differences in body composition in the first months of life despite the fact that males are typically longer and weigh more than girls at birth.Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether observed sex differences in body composition at birth persist through the first 6 months of life.Methods: Participants were healthy, full-term, male and female newborns. Children throughout the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, metropolitan area were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were: mothers aged 18 to 45 years at the time of delivery; a term pregnancy lasting ≥37 weeks of gestation (determined by mother's physician); weight adequate for gestational age; and a hospital stay for the infant of <3 days following delivery. The exclusion criteria were: maternal tobacco use or alcohol consumption (>1 drink per week) during pregnancy; gestational diabetes; preeclampsia; and infants with presumed or known congenital birth defects. Baseline assessment at birth included length and weight. Newborns had their body composition (percent fat [%fat], total fat, and fat-free mass) determined at ~1 month of age using whole body plethysmography. Mothers were invited to have their children take part in a 5-month extension that conducted additional body composition measurements at 3 and 6 months of age.Results: Sixty-four girls (mean [SD] age at time of testing, 20.9 [7.9] days; birth weight, 3500 [388] g; birth length, 49.9 [2.4] cm; white race, 73.4%) and 53 boys (mean age at time of testing, 20.2 [7.3] days; birth weight, 3353 [413] g; birth length, 51.0 [2.4] cm; white race, 69.8%) were assessed and included in the study. At birth, girls were significantly shorter and weighed more than boys (both, P < 0.05). At ~1 month of age, body composition revealed that girls had significantly greater %fat (15.1% vs 12.7%; P < 0.05) and less fat-free mass (3182 [303] vs 3454 [361] g; P < 0.001) than did boys. At 3 months of age, girls continued to have significantly less fat-free mass (4379 [347] vs 4787 [310] g; P < 0.01) than did boys; however, by 6 months of age, no significant sex difference was observed in any body composition variable studied.Conclusion: In this small sample of healthy, full-term newborns, at ~1 month of age, statistically significant differences in %fat and fat-free mass existed between girls and boys; however, by 6 months of age, these differences no longer existed.     

Effects of grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy on birth weight: intergenerational cohort study

Objective To investigate the influences on birth weight of maternal smoking during pregnancy across generations.Design Intergenerational cohort study.Participants Members of the 1958 birth cohort and their offspring and mothers.Setting England, Scotland, and Wales.Main outcome measure Birth weight.Results Information on grandmothers'' smoking during pregnancy was available for 9028 singleton offspring of 4302 female cohort members. Assuming heritable transmission through the intergenerational association, grandmothers'' smoking was predicted to result in a 34 g reduction (95% confidence interval -41 g to -28 g) in the birth weight of grandchildren. Random effects models showed a negative association between grandmothers'' smoking and birth weight of grandchildren (β regression coefficient -24 g, -50 g to 3 g), but this effect was eliminated after adjustment for maternal smoking (0 g, -26 g to 26 g).No association was evident among the offspring of non-smoking mothers (n = 6105; 14 g, -17 g to 46 g), and after adjustment for maternal birth weight, adult height and body mass index, grandmothers'' smoking was positively associated with the birth weight of grandchildren (45 g, 10 g to 80 g).Conclusion Deficits in mothers'' birth weight attributable to their mother smoking was not evident in the grandchildren.     

Birth weight is inversely associated with central adipose tissue in healthy children and adolescents

Objective: Previous studies have explored the association between birth weight and excess childhood body fat, but few have used precise measures of body composition, leading to equivocal and sometimes contradictory results. Research Methods and Procedures: Subjects included 101 children who underwent DXA measurements between 1995 and 2000. Birth weight and gestational age were assessed using maternal recall. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between birth weight and the following four outcome variables: total fat mass (FM), truncal fat mass (TrFM), percentage body fat (%BF), and TrFM adjusted for FM (TrFMadj), controlling for current weight and Tanner stage. Results: The mean age of the children studied was 12.9 ± 2.4 years, and the mean birth weight reported by subjects’ mothers was 3.3 ± 0.5 kg. The FM and TrFM were 12.8 ± 8.7 kg and 5.1 ± 4.1 kg, respectively, and the mean %BF was 22.9 ± 10.3%. Birth weight was a significant predictor of FM (p = 0.02) and %BF (p = 0.038). However, birth weight adjusted for gestational age (BWTadj) was a significant (p = 0.03) negative predictor of TrFMadj, independently of race, sex, Tanner stage, and current weight. Discussion: These results provide evidence that, even in childhood and adolescence, a higher birth weight is associated with higher FM and %BF, while a low birth weight is associated with TrFM, adjusted for FM.     

Relation between birth weight at term and systolic blood pressure in adolescence.

OBJECTIVE--To examine whether birth weight is related to systolic blood pressure during adolescence. DESIGN--Retrospective (comparative) cohort study. The observers who traced and studied the subjects were unaware of their case-control status. SUBJECTS--330 subjects were born in Cardiff in 1975-7. Cases who were low birth weight at term (< 2500 g) were matched with controls of normal birth weight (3000-3800 g) at term. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Systolic blood pressure measured by random zero sphygmomanometry in the subject''s right arm with the subject supine, corrected for size and age. RESULTS--The mean age at examination was 15.7 years. The mean systolic blood pressure of the cases was 105.8 mm Hg and of the controls 107.5 mm Hg. The corrected difference (95% confidence interval) in systolic blood pressure between the cases and controls was 1 mm Hg (-3 to +1 mm Hg; two tailed probability 0.33). CONCLUSION--Systolic blood pressure in adolescents of low birth weight is not significantly different from that of adolescents of normal birth weights.     

Associations of Maternal Iron Intake and Hemoglobin in Pregnancy with Offspring Vascular Phenotypes and Adiposity at Age 10: Findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Background

Iron deficiency is common during pregnancy. Experimental animal studies suggest that it increases cardiovascular risk in the offspring.

Objective

To examine the relationship between maternal pregnancy dietary and supplement iron intake and hemoglobin, with offspring’s arterial stiffness (measured by carotid-radial pulse wave velocity), endothelial function (measured by brachial artery flow mediated dilatation), blood pressure, and adiposity (measured by body mass index), test for mediation by cord ferritin, birth weight, gestational age, and child dietary iron intake, and for effect modification by maternal vitamin C intake and offspring sex.

Design

Prospective data from 2958 mothers and children pairs at 10 years of age enrolled in an English birth cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study for Parents and Children (ALSPAC), was analysed.

Results

2639 (89.2%) mothers reported dietary iron intake in pregnancy below the UK reference nutrient intake of 14.8 mg/day. 1328 (44.9%) reported taking iron supplements, and 129 (4.4%) were anemic by 18 weeks gestation. No associations were observed apart from maternal iron intake from supplements with offspring systolic blood pressure (−0.8 mmHg, 99% CI −1.7 to 0, P = 0.01 in the sample with all relevant data observed, and −0.7 mmHg, 99% CI −1.3 to 0, P = 0.008 in the sample with missing data imputed).

Conclusion

There was no evidence of association between maternal pregnancy dietary iron intake, or maternal hemoglobin concentration (which is less likely to be biased by subjective reporting) with offspring outcomes. There was a modest inverse association between maternal iron supplement intake during pregnancy with offspring systolic blood pressure at 10 years.     

Impact of birth weight and early infant weight gain on insulin resistance and associated cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence

Background

Low birth weight followed by accelerated weight gain during early childhood has been associated with adverse metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes later in life. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of early infant weight gain on glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence and to study if the effect differed between adolescents born small for gestational age (SGA) vs. appropriate for gestational age (AGA).

Methodology/Principal Findings

Data from 30 SGA and 57 AGA healthy young Danish adolescents were analysed. They had a mean age of 17.6 years and all were born at term. Data on early infant weight gain from birth to three months as well as from birth to one year were available in the majority of subjects. In adolescence, glucose metabolism was assessed by a simplified intravenous glucose tolerance test and body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Blood pressures as well as plasma concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol were measured. Early infant weight gain from birth to three months was positively associated with the fasting insulin concentration, HOMA-IR, basal lipid levels and systolic blood pressure at 17 years. There was a differential effect of postnatal weight gain on HOMA-IR in AGA and SGA participants (P for interaction = 0.03). No significant associations were seen between postnatal weight gain and body composition or parameters of glucose metabolism assessed by the simplified intravenous glucose tolerance test. In subgroup analysis, all associations with early infant weight gain were absent in the AGA group, but the associations with basal insulin and HOMA-IR were still present in the SGA group.

Conclusion

This study suggests that accelerated growth during the first three months of life may confer an increased risk of later metabolic disturbances – particularly of glucose metabolism – in individuals born SGA.     

Effect of parental anthropometric parameters on neonatal birth weight and birth length

Data on 550 healthy pregnant women, 550 healthy fathers and their healthy term neonates born from singleton pregnancies (37(+0) through 41(+6) week) during a one-year period were reviewed. Maternal mean age was 27.7 +/- 9.37 years, mean pregestational weight 64.0 +/- 9.50 kg, mean gestational weight gain 15.4 +/- 4.33 kg, mean height 169.7 +/- 5.81 cm, and mean gestational age 40.1 +/- 0.95 weeks. Paternal mean age was 31.4 +/- 6.22 years, mean weight 84.6 +/- 10.35 kg, and mean height 182.8 +/- 6.84 cm. Mean birth weight was 3,709.8 +/- 500.48 g and 3,562.5 +/- 443.02 g, and mean birth length 51.5 +/- 1.91 cm and 50.7 +/- 1.62 cm in male and female newborns, respectively, yielding a birth weight greater by 147.3 g and birth length by 0.8 cm in the former. Study variables showed statistically significant correlations: maternal age contributed to the significant correlation between maternal weight and parity, maternal pregestational weight, weight at delivery, gestational weight gain and body height correlated significantly with neonatal birth weight and birth length, gestational age correlated significantly with neonatal weight and length (p = 0.01 all), parity had no major impact (p > 0.05). Paternal height and weight correlated significantly with neonatal birth weight and birth length (p = 0.01). Study results pointed to a significant correlation of maternal pregestational weight, gestational weight gain and body height, and of paternal weight and height with the neonate birth weight and birth length.