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Cardiovascular risk factors in parents of short children born small for gestational age

Sandra W K De Kort1, Marije Van Dijk, Ruben H Willemsen

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, 3015 GJ, The Netherlands. s.dekort@erasmusmc.nl

Pediatric Research
|March 25, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Parents of small for gestational age (SGA) children show some cardiovascular risk factors, but these do not correlate with their children's risk. This suggests birth size, not familial factors, may influence SGA cardiovascular risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Small for gestational age (SGA) children exhibit increased cardiovascular risk factors early in life.
  • The origins of this heightened risk, whether related to birth size or familial predisposition, remain unclear.
  • The cardiovascular risk profile of parents of SGA children is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare cardiovascular risk factors in parents of short SGA children versus reference populations.
  • To investigate correlations in cardiovascular risk factors between SGA children and their parents.
  • To determine if parental cardiovascular risk is influenced by their own birth size (SGA or appropriate for gestational age).

Main Methods:

  • Anthropometry, blood pressure, and fasting serum lipid, glucose, and insulin levels were measured in 482 parents and 286 short SGA children.
  • Participants were compared to age-, sex-, and height-matched reference groups.
  • Correlations between parent and offspring cardiovascular parameters were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Parents of SGA children showed modestly elevated systolic blood pressure (mothers), body mass index (fathers), and fasting glucose levels compared to references.
  • SGA children had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than controls.
  • No significant correlation in cardiovascular risk factors was found between parents and their SGA children.
  • Parental history of being born SGA did not associate with increased cardiovascular risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Parents of short SGA children exhibit a mild increase in certain cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Cardiovascular risk factors do not appear to correlate between short SGA children and their parents.
  • These findings suggest that factors other than familial predisposition may contribute to the cardiovascular risk observed in SGA children.

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