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Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Preterm birth does not affect bone mineral density in young adults.
Petra E Breukhoven1, Ralph W J Leunissen, Sandra W K de Kort
1Subdivision of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC/Sophia Children's Hospital, Room number Sb-2603, Dr Molewaterplein 60, 3015 GJ Rotterdam, The Netherlands. p.breukhoven@erasmusmc.nl
European Journal of Endocrinology
|October 30, 2010
Summary
Preterm birth does not impact bone mineral density in young adulthood. This study found no significant differences in bone mineral density (BMD) between individuals born preterm and those born at term.
Area of Science:
- Bone Health
- Perinatal Medicine
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Conflicting data exists regarding the long-term effects of prematurity on bone mineral density (BMD).
- Few studies have investigated the impact of preterm birth on BMD in early adulthood.
- Understanding these long-term effects is crucial for assessing lifelong bone health trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term effects of preterm birth on total body bone mineral density (BMD(TB)), lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD(LS)), and lumbar spine bone mineral apparent density (BMAD(LS)).
- To determine if gestational age influences BMD in young adulthood.
- To compare BMD between individuals born preterm and those born at term.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 276 healthy young adults aged 18-24 years.
- Participants included 151 individuals born preterm (median gestational age 32.2 weeks) and 125 born at term (median gestational age 40.0 weeks).
- Bone mineral density was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Main Results:
- No significant linear correlations were found between gestational age and BMD(TB), BMD(LS), or BMAD(LS).
- Gestational age did not significantly contribute to the variance in BMD measures, even after adjusting for confounders.
- There were no significant differences in BMD(TB), BMD(LS), or BMAD(LS) between preterm and term-born subjects.
Conclusions:
- Gestational age is not a significant determinant of bone mineral density in young adulthood.
- Preterm birth, in the absence of serious postnatal complications, is not associated with reduced bone mineral density in early adulthood.
- These findings suggest that individuals born preterm may achieve comparable bone density to their term-born peers by young adulthood.
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