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Association between birth weight and childhood cardiovascular disease risk factors in West Virginia
Amna Umer1, Candice Hamilton1, Lesley Cottrell1
1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Insights
Lower birth weight is linked to higher childhood cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels. A child's body mass index at age 11 partially or fully explains these associations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
- Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Background:
- Inconsistent findings exist regarding birth weight and childhood cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for early CVD prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between birth weight and CVD risk factors at 11 years of age.
- To examine the mediating role of childhood body mass index (BMI) in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinally linked data from three cross-sectional datasets in West Virginia (N=22,136; full-term births N=19,583).
- Measured outcomes included resting blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and lipid profiles (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, non-HDL, triglycerides).
- Multiple regression analyses were performed, adjusting for BMI, sociodemographics, and lifestyle factors.
Main Results:
- Unadjusted analyses showed associations between birth weight and systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), HDL, and triglycerides (TG).
- After adjusting for BMI, associations between birth weight and HDL and TG remained significant.
- In fully adjusted models, low birth weight was linked to unfavorable lipid profiles (higher LDL, non-HDL, TG; lower HDL).
- Childhood BMI partially or fully mediated the relationship between birth weight and CVD risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Birth weight is associated with childhood CVD risk factors, with effects varying by lipid profile and blood pressure.
- Childhood BMI plays a significant role in mediating these associations.
- These findings highlight the importance of birth weight and early BMI for long-term cardiovascular health.
Abstract:
The reported associations between birth weight and childhood cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors have been inconsistent. In this study, we investigated the relationship between birth weight and CVD risk factors at 11 years of age. This study used longitudinally linked data from three cross-sectional datasets (N = 22,136) in West Virginia; analysis was restricted to children born full-term (N = 19,583). The outcome variables included resting blood pressure [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP)] and lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, non-HDL, and triglycerides (TG)]. Multiple regression analyses were performed, adjusting for child's body mass index (BMI), sociodemographics, and lifestyle characteristics. Unadjusted analyses showed a statistically significant association between birth weight and SBP, DBP, HDL, and TG. When adjusted for the child's BMI, the association between birth weight and HDL [b = 0.14 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.18) mg/dl per 1000 g increase] and between birth weight and TG [b = -0.007 (-0.008, -0.005) mg/dl per 1000 g increase] remained statistically significant. In the fully adjusted model, low birth weight was associated with higher LDL, non-HDL, and TGs, and lower HDL levels. The child's current BMI at 11 years of age partially (for HDL, non-HDL, and TG) and fully mediated (for SBP and DBP) the relationship between birth weight and select CVD risk factors. While effects were modest, these risk factors may persist and amplify with age, leading to potentially unfavorable consequences in later adulthood.
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