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Do mismatches between pre- and post-natal environments influence adult physiological functioning?

Tony Robertson1, Michaela Benzeval2

  • 1Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research & Policy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Plos One
|February 6, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Mismatches in early life growth markers did not predict poorer physiological biomarkers in young adults. This study found no evidence linking birthweight and leg length discrepancies to adverse health indicators at age 36.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
  • Human Physiology
  • Biomarker Research

Background:

  • Early life environmental exposures can influence adult disease risk.
  • Understanding physiological system responses to developmental mismatches is crucial for public health.
  • Growth markers like birthweight and leg length reflect early developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between pre- and post-natal environmental mismatches, indicated by birthweight and adult leg length, and physiological biomarker levels in young adults.
  • To test the hypothesis that such mismatches are linked to poorer health across key physiological systems.
  • To explore potential early indicators of physiological damage related to developmental discordance.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 923 36-year-old participants in the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study.
  • Biomarkers measured included systolic blood pressure, forced expiratory volume, glycated haemoglobin, glomerular filtration rate, and gamma-glutamyltransferase.
  • Regression models examined the relationship between birthweight, leg length, their interaction, and physiological biomarkers, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • No significant associations were found between birthweight/leg length mismatches and adverse levels of systolic blood pressure, forced expiratory volume, glycated haemoglobin, or gamma-glutamyltransferase.
  • Higher birthweight and longer leg length were independently associated with better kidney function (glomerular filtration rate).
  • The study found no evidence that mismatches between birthweight and leg length predict poorer biomarker levels.

Conclusions:

  • The hypothesis that early life environmental mismatches, measured by growth markers, lead to detectable physiological damage in young adults was not supported.
  • The lack of association at age 36 may indicate that significant physiological trends related to these mismatches emerge later in life or are absent.
  • Further longitudinal research is needed to understand the long-term health implications of developmental mismatches.
Abstract

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