Size at birth linked with risk of breast cancer in women under 50
A study in the BMJ this week finds an association between size at birth and risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer. view more (2003-01-29)
... an association between size at birth and risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer. Over 5,000 women born ... positive associations between measures of birth size and rates of breast cancer at pre-menopausal ages, even ... factors were taken into account. Birth length and head circumference had stronger associations with pre-menopausal breast ... with pre-menopausal breast cancer than birth weight. In addition, a shorter period ...
Bigger babies at greater risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer
Women who had a greater birth size have a significantly higher risk than others of developing pre-menopausal breast cancer, according to a study carried out by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The study, reported in the British Medical Journal today, looked at 5,000 women born in Sweden during 1915-29, of which 63 had... view more... (2003-01-29)
Women who had a greater birth size have a significantly higher risk than others of developing ... over age 50 years. Larger birth size was found to be associated with increased rates of ... factors were taken into account. Birth length and head circumference were found to have stronger associations ... to have stronger associations than birth weight. Shorter pregnancies were also found ...
Birth weight and social class linked to educational achievement
Birth weight and social class at birth have a strong influence on cognitive (mental) function in children, say researchers in this week's BMJ. The study involved 10,845 males and females born during 3-9 March 1958 in England, Scotland, and Wales. The team investigated the combined effect of birth weight and socioeconomic environment on cognitive... view more... (2002-08-07)
Birth weight and social class at birth have a strong influence on cognitive (mental) function in children, ... investigated the combined effect of birth weight and socioeconomic environment on cognitive tests and educational achievements ... achievements improved significantly with increasing birth weight. For example, the proportion of men with higher qualifications ... lowest (2500 g or less) birth weight group to 34% in ...
Preterm birth rate drops
The nation's preterm birth rate declined slightly in 2007 - a finding that the March of Dimes hopes will prove to be the start of a new trend in improved maternal and infant health. view more (2009-03-19)
The nation's preterm birth rate declined slightly in 2007 - a finding that the ... maternal and infant health.
The preterm birth rate declined for babies born at 34-36 weeks gestation (late ... this drop in the preterm birth rate, and hope that the emphasis we've put on the ... the problem of late preterm birth is beginning to make a difference," said Jennifer ...
Birth weight may be linked to arthritis in later life
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, but researchers in this week’s BMJ suggest that some factors relating to the period shortly before and after birth (perinatal factors) may be implicated in the development of the disease in later life. view more (2003-05-14)
... period shortly before and after birth (perinatal factors) may be implicated in the development of the ... and 308 matched controls. Using birth records, they collected information such as birth weight, mother’s age, length of hospital stay after delivery, start ... worker). They found that high birth weight (4000g or more) was positively associated with rheumatoid arthritis ... with rheumatoid arthritis but low ...
Exposure to phthalates may be a risk factor for low birth weight in infants
Many parents worry about their child's exposure to phthalates, the chemical compounds used as plasticizers in a wide variety of personal care products, children's toys, and medical devices. view more (2009-06-25)
... phthalate exposure contributes to low birth weight in infants. Low birth weight is the leading cause of death in children under ... utero phthalate exposure and low birth weight, Dr. Renshan Ge of the Population Council and colleagues ... 88 were born with low birth weight. The researchers analyzed samples of the infants' meconium, the ... bowel movement that occurs after birth, and ...
Human reproductive rates follow biological scaling rules
In nations with high per capita energy consumption, women have fewer children. This phenomenon is an unexpected consequence of the biological scaling relationship between metabolism and reproductive rate: larger species of mammals have higher metabolism but lower birth rates. In the April 2003 issue of Ecology Letters, Moses and Brown show that... view more... (2003-04-08)
... have higher metabolism but lower birth rates. In the April 2003 issue of Ecology Letters, ... the demographic transition to lower birth rates in human populations. Birth rates decline predictably with increased energy consumption, even though most ... these nations have correspondingly low birth rates, resulting in fewer than 2 children per lifetime. ... ...
Low intake of milk in pregnancy associated with decreased birth weight
Women increasingly self-restrict milk intake during pregnancy, for a variety of reasons. Does this have an effect on their infants' birth weight? view more (2006-04-25)
... an effect on their infants' birth weight? In this study, women whose daily consumption of milk ... and vitamin D and gave birth to smaller babies than mothers who drank more milk. Milk ... be each associated with infant birth weights, independently of other risk factors. In a related commentary, ... Hollis and Wagner note that this study makes a very intriguing and ...
Twins have similar school performance to single-born children
Twins have similar academic performance to single-born children, finds a large Danish study published online by the BMJ today. view more (2006-09-29)
... than singletons.
Using the Danish national birth register, researchers identified 3,411 twins and a random sample of ... They also gathered information on birth weight, gestational age at birth, and parents' age and education.
At ninth grade (age 15 or ... less than the singletons at birth. In fact, twins did slightly better in mathematics than singletons.
Taking ... child's sex, age at test, birth weight, ...
Temperature at birth linked to health later in life
Cold outdoor temperature at birth is associated with increased coronary heart disease and insulin resistance, high cholesterol levels, and poor lung function in later life, suggests a study in Heart. This link was strongest among those from the lowest social and economic classes. Researchers examined the effects of average outdoor temperature... view more... (2004-03-09)
Cold outdoor temperature at birth is associated with increased coronary heart disease and insulin resistance, ... temperature around the time of birth in a sample of 4,286 women aged 60-79 years from ... 23 British towns. Dates of birth for each participant were matched to official climate records. Coronary ... months. Cold outdoor temperature at birth was also associated with increased insulin resistance, ...
Low birth weight of a baby entails risks for the baby's father
Parents whose children are born with a low birth weight run greater risk of dying of cardiovascular diseases. Even the fathers are at greater risk. These findings are published in a new report by Karolinska Institutet. The report shows that genetic factors affect both birth weight and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. view more (2005-06-29)
... are born with a low birth weight run greater risk of dying of cardiovascular diseases. Even ... that genetic factors affect both birth weight and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
It is already ... analysed the relationship between the birth weight of the baby and the parents' mortality by comparing ... Sweden during this period.
Low birth weight was not only found to ...
New method for predicting risk of emergency caesarean section after a previous caesarean
A paper published in PLoS Medicine provides a novel method for estimating the risk of emergency caesarean section after a previous caesarean section. view more (2005-09-13)
... women who attempted to give birth vaginally. They then tested the method in a separate sample ... having had a previous vaginal birth, and later birth. Women at low predicted risk of emergency caesarean section were ... dangerous complication of attempting vaginal birth, a ruptured uterus. Rates of caesarean section are rising worldwide. ... fewer women are attempting vaginal birth after caesarean section ...
Study examines relationship between low birth weight and psychiatric problems in children
Low-birth-weight children appear to be at higher risk for psychiatric disturbances from childhood through high school than normal-birth-weight children, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. view more (2008-09-02)
Low-birth-weight children appear to be at higher risk for psychiatric disturbances ... childhood through high school than normal-birth-weight children, according to a report in the September issue of ... the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, low-birth-weight children from urban communities may be more likely to have ... have attention problems than suburban low-birth-weight children.
"Advances in neonatal medicine have raised the survivorship of low-birth-weight infants ...
Analysis of millions of US births shows association between birth defects and preterm birth
Babies born preterm were more than twice as likely to have major birth defects as full-term infants, according to a new analysis of nearly 7 million U.S. live births published online this week in the Springer journal Maternal and Child Health Journal. view more (2008-05-21)
... as likely to have major birth defects as full-term infants, according to a new analysis of ... nearly 7 million U.S. live births published online this week in the Springer journal Maternal and ... Maternal and Child Health Journal.
Preterm birth, live birth before 37 completed weeks gestation, is a growing national health ... the rate continues to rise. Birth defects and preterm birth ...
IQ linked to birth weight even among children of normal birth weight
Many studies have shown that low birthweight babies have lower IQ test scores at school age, but a study in this week's BMJ finds that the association between birthweight and childhood IQ also applies to children in the normal range of birth weight. Researchers at Columbia University, and the New York Academy of Medicine examined the relation... view more... (2001-08-08)
... studies have shown that low birthweight babies have lower IQ test scores at school age, but ... finds that the association between birthweight and childhood IQ also applies to children in the normal ... in the normal range of birth weight. Researchers at Columbia University, and the New York Academy ... Medicine examined the relation between birth weight and measured intelligence at age ... |
