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Gestational age at birth and risk of gastric acid-related disorders in young adulthood

Casey Crump1, Marilyn A Winkleby, Jan Sundquist

  • 1Department of Medicine, Stanford University, CA, USA. kccrump@stanford.edu

Annals of Epidemiology
|March 3, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Preterm birth is linked to higher risks of gastric acid issues in young adults. Lower gestational age at birth correlates with increased need for acid-reducing medications later in life.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a known risk factor for infant gastric acid-related disorders.
  • Previous research has not extensively studied this association in young adulthood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term association between preterm birth and gastric acid-related disorders into young adulthood.
  • Utilize antisecretory medication data as a proxy for these disorders.

Main Methods:

  • National cohort study of 626,811 individuals born in Sweden (1973-1979).
  • Follow-up for antisecretory medication (PPI, H2RA) prescriptions from 2005-2009 (ages 25.5-37.0).
  • Exclusion of individuals with congenital anomalies and adjustment for comorbidities.

Main Results:

  • Inverse association found between gestational age at birth and antisecretory medication use in young adulthood.
  • Adjusted odds ratios for medication use increased with lower gestational age (e.g., 3.38 for 22-27 weeks vs. full-term).
  • Confounding by other comorbidities had minimal impact on the observed association.

Conclusions:

  • Low gestational age at birth is independently associated with an elevated risk of gastric acid-related disorders in young adulthood.
  • Findings highlight the importance of long-term monitoring for individuals born preterm.
Abstract

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