Comparison of plasma lipids at birth and in second year of life

The value of measuring plasma lipids at birth as a guide to hyperlipidaemia in the future has been studied in 230 infants. There was a weak overall correlation between the cholesterol concentration at birth and during the second year of life (r = +0-215, P less than 0-05). There was no such relationship for triglyceride concentration. Not one of seven infants showing hypercholesterolaemia at birth had a raised level at follow-up. By contrast, all seven infants whose cholesterol levels exceeded two standard deviations at follow-up had normal values at birth. This discrepancy may reflect the influence of diet on plasma lipids. The mean plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations during the second year were significantly lower in those infants being fed diets that contained increased amounts of unsaturated fat. The likelihood of hyperlipidaemia being found during the second year of life therefore depended more on the nature of the infant's food than on the presence of hyperlipidaemia at birth. The added influence of genetic components was suggested by the finding of a greater prevalence of early cardiovascular events in the families of infants showing hyperlipidaemia at one to two years of age.