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Birth Weight for Gestational Age, Anthropometric Measures, and Cardiovascular Disease Markers in Children
Stefan Kuhle1, Bryan Maguire2, Nicole Ata3
1Perinatal Epidemiology Research Unit, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Insights
Children born small (SGA) or large (LGA) for gestational age had different body measurements but similar cardiometabolic markers. SGA infants showed a lower likelihood of metabolic syndrome components.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Cardiology
Background:
- Birth weight for gestational age is a known factor influencing childhood health.
- Long-term cardiovascular disease risks are associated with being small (SGA) or large (LGA) for gestational age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between birth weight for gestational age and anthropometric measures and cardiometabolic markers in Canadian children.
- To assess if early growth patterns predict later health indicators in a population-based sample.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 2016 children (aged 6-12 years) from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.
- Categorized participants as small (SGA), large (LGA), or appropriate (AGA) for gestational age.
- Employed weighted multiple regression analyses to examine associations between birth weight status and health outcomes.
Main Results:
- SGA infants had lower and LGA infants had higher anthropometric z scores than AGA peers, though not always significant.
- No significant differences were observed in blood pressure or individual cardiometabolic markers between SGA/LGA and AGA groups.
- SGA infants were less likely to have elevated levels of three or more metabolic syndrome components compared to AGA infants.
Conclusions:
- Former SGA and LGA infants exhibit differences in body mass index and waist circumference compared to AGA peers.
- The anticipated increased cardiovascular disease risk in former SGA or LGA infants was not evident in blood pressure or laboratory markers at 6-12 years of age.
Objective:
To examine the association of birth weight for gestational age with anthropometric measures and cardiometabolic markers in a population-based sample of Canadian children.
Study Design:
The study used data from 2016 children aged 6-12 years from the first 2 cycles of the Canadian Health Measures Survey, a population-based survey of Canadian residents. The main exposure was birth weight for gestational age (small [SGA], large [LGA], and appropriate for gestational age [AGA]). The outcomes were anthropometric measures, blood pressure, and laboratory cardiovascular disease markers. The association between the exposure and the outcomes was examined using multiple regression. Analyses were weighted to account for the complex sampling design and for nonresponse.
Results:
SGA infants had lower and LGA infants had higher z scores for anthropometric measures compared with the AGA group but most differences were not statistically significant. There were no differences between the SGA or LGA infants and the AGA group in blood pressure or individual cardiometabolic markers but SGA infants were significantly less likely to have elevated levels of 3 or more components of the metabolic syndrome compared with their AGA peers.
Conclusions:
Former SGA and LGA infants have lower (SGA) and higher (LGA) body mass index and waist circumference, respectively, than their AGA peers. The known long-term increased cardiovascular disease risk among SGA or LGA infants was not reflected in the blood pressure and laboratory measurements at age 6-12 years.
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