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Birth weight, infant weight gain, and cause-specific mortality: the Hertfordshire Cohort Study

H E Syddall1, A Aihie Sayer, S J Simmonds

  • 1Medical Research Council Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom.

American Journal of Epidemiology
|May 20, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Lower birth weight increases mortality risk from circulatory diseases and falls but lowers cancer mortality risk. A higher birth weight is linked to reduced overall mortality by age 75.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Longitudinal Studies

Background:

  • Low birth weight is a recognized indicator of adverse intrauterine conditions.
  • It is associated with increased risks of coronary heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.
  • Conversely, low birth weight may reduce the risk of certain conditions, particularly neoplastic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between birth weight, infant weight gain, and mortality outcomes.
  • To analyze these associations within the Hertfordshire Cohort study population.
  • To determine the impact of birth weight on long-term mortality risks.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the Hertfordshire Cohort, including 37,615 individuals born between 1911-1939.
  • Tracking mortality outcomes for 7,916 individuals who died by the end of 1999.
  • Utilizing hazard ratios to quantify the risk associated with birth weight variations.

Main Results:

  • In men, lower birth weight correlated with higher mortality from circulatory disease (HR per SD decrease: 1.08) and accidental falls, but lower cancer mortality (HR per SD decrease: 0.94).
  • In women, lower birth weight was significantly linked to increased mortality from circulatory, musculoskeletal diseases, pneumonia, injury, and diabetes.
  • A one-standard-deviation increase in birth weight was associated with a 0.86% reduction in all-cause mortality by age 75 for both sexes.

Conclusions:

  • Birth weight is a significant predictor of diverse mortality outcomes throughout the lifespan.
  • Adverse intrauterine conditions, indicated by low birth weight, have lasting health consequences.
  • Public health strategies focusing on birth weight may impact long-term population health and reduce mortality.

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