Role of Intergenerational Effects on Linear Growth

Abstract

Current knowledge on the role of intergenerational effects on linear growth is reviewed on the basis of a literature search and recent findings from an ongoing study in Guatemala. Fourteen studies were identified, most of which examined the intergenerational relationships in birth weight. Overall, for every 100 g increase in maternal birth weight, her child's birth weight increased by 10-20 g. The study samples were primarily from developed countries, and birth weight data were extracted from hospital records and/or birth registries. Among the few studies that examined associations between the adult heights of parents and their offspring, correlation coefficients of 0.42-0.5 were reported. None of the studies examined intergenerational relationships in birth length or linear growth patterns during early childhood, preadolescence and/or adolescence. Prospectively collected data from long-term studies being carried out in rural Guatemala provide the first evidence of intergenerational relationships in birth size in a developing country setting. Data were available for 215 mother-child pairs. Maternal birth size was a significant predictor (P < 0.05) of child's birth size after adjusting for gestational age and sex of the child and other potential confounders. Child's birth weight increased by 29 g/100 g increase in maternal birth weight which is nearly twice that reported in developed countries. Similarly, child's birth length increased by 0.2 cm for every 1 cm increase in mother's birth length. The effect of maternal birth weight remained significant even after adjusting for maternal adult size. More evidence from developing countries will help explain the underlying mechanisms and identify appropriate interventions to prevent growth retardation.

Children developing type 1 diabetes before 6 years of age have increased linear growth independent of HLA genotypes

“…Nevertheless, it is still an important novel finding, especially since we found that birth length was significantly associated with HLA genotypes. In our study, MPH SDS were taken into consideration when we analysed intrauterine and childhood growth, since birth length, birthweight and childhood linear growth are strongly correlated with the height of the parents [21,22,38]. Therefore it is important to correct for MPH when analysing growth parameters.…”

“…However, our data did not support this hypothesis and indicate that factors other than high-risk HLA are responsible for this increased growth rate in children developing diabetes. In this prospective study we examined the growth pattern of a cohort of children developing diabetes before 6 years of age compared with controls matched for HLA genotypes and corrected for MPH since this is strongly associated with the linear growth of children [21,22,38]. Previous studies have reported a relationship between high birthweight and both low-risk [39] and high-risk [14,15] HLA genotypes.…”

“…The authors of the latter study corrected growth for mid-parental height (MPH), which is known to correlate with both birthweight and birth length [21], and with postnatal growth of the child [21,22].…”

Baixa escolaridade como fator limitante para o combate à anemia entre gestantes

“…Entretanto, a maior limitação é baseada nos termos éticos, já que esse tipo de estudo exigiria um grupo controle que não recebesse o tratamento padrão, já que muitos países já adotam como rotina a suplementação de ferro para gestantes, em função do aumento do requerimento desse nutriente conforme recomendações internacionais da OMS 1 . Assim, sugere-se que estudos prospectivos sejam realizados em países em desenvolvimento que enfoquem o impacto do uso do suplemento e do padrão dietético no prognóstico da gestação e indicadores bioquímicos 25 .…”

The intergenerational effects of fetal programming: non-genomic mechanisms for the inheritance of low birth weight and cardiovascular risk

“…There is a well-recognised 'intergenerational cycle of growth failure' in the developing world -young girls who grow poorly become stunted women and are more likely to give birth to low birth weight babies. If these infants are girls, they are likely to continue the cycle by being stunted in adulthood and so on (Ramakrishnan et al 1999). Could this apparent intergenerational effect on fetal growth also be important in the developed world?…”