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Low birth weight is not associated with clinically overt thyroid disease: a population based twin case-control study
T H Brix1, K O Kyvik, L Hegedüs
1Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital; The Danish Twin Register, Odense University, Odense, Denmark. t-brix@health.sdv.dk
Clinical Endocrinology
|August 10, 2000
Summary
Low birth weight and other birth factors do not increase the risk of developing overt thyroid disease. This study controlled for genetic and environmental influences, finding no significant associations.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Reproductive Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Low birth weight is a suspected risk factor for adult chronic diseases like diabetes and subclinical autoimmune thyroid disease.
- Potential confounding factors include genetics and environment, which influence both birth weight and adult health outcomes.
- The link between low birth weight and clinically apparent thyroid disease remains unestablished.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of birth weight on the development of clinically overt thyroid disease.
- To examine the influence of other birth characteristics (birth length, birth order, prematurity) on thyroid disease risk.
Main Methods:
- A population-based, nationwide twin register was utilized for a twin case-control study.
- 131 same-sex twin pairs (262 individuals) discordant for clinically overt thyroid disease were included.
- Birth data (weight, length, order, prematurity) were retrieved from original midwife records.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in birth weight were observed between individuals with and without thyroid disease in either monozygotic or dizygotic twin pairs.
- Logistic regression analysis revealed no statistically significant impact of birth length, birth order, or prematurity on thyroid disease development.
- Subgroup analyses for Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and nonautoimmune thyroid disease yielded similar non-significant findings.
Conclusions:
- This study, controlling for genetic and environmental factors, is the first to assess birth characteristics' impact on overt thyroid disease.
- Birth weight and other birth characteristics were not found to be associated with an increased risk of developing clinically overt autoimmune or nonautoimmune thyroid disease.