Babies that grow slowly during the early stages of pregnancy face an increased risk of suffering heart problems later in life, researchers warn today.
These children grow on to develop problems of abdominal fat, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, according to the study in the British Medical Journal.
The researchers from the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, say their findings add to a growing body of evidence that the first 3 months of foetal growth is important for heart health.
They came to their conclusions after taking the first trimester crown to rump length measurements (commonly used to estimate foetal age) of 1,184 school age children whose mothers had a known first day of their last menstrual period and a regular cycle.
The youngsters were then split them into 5 groups – the lowest fifth who were the smallest foetuses and the highest fifth who were the biggest.
When the children reached about the age of 6, they were assessed for heart health risk factors, including body mass index, body fat distribution, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and insulin concentrations.
The researchers found that those who were smallest at 3 months in the womb had significantly more total fat mass and fat stored around the abdomen at the age of 6, as well as higher diastolic blood pressure and an adverse cholesterol profile, compared with those in the highest fifth.
First trimester growth restriction was also associated with an increased risk of clustering of these heart health risk factors in childhood.
Although some of the factors may be coincidental, the team says their findings warrant further investigation to help identify the underlying causal biological mechanisms and long-term consequences.
Future strategies to improve cardiovascular health “may start from early pregnancy onwards or even before conception,” they conclude.
Jaddoe VWV, De Yonge L et al. First trimester fetal growth restriction and cardiovascular risk factors in school age children: population based cohort study. BMJ 24 January 2014;348:g14 doi:10.1136/bmj.g14 [abstract]
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