Birth weight of offspring and mortality in the Renfrew and Paisley study: prospective observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between birth weight of offspring and mortality among fathers and mothers in the west of Scotland.


METHODS
Prospective observational study.


METHODS
794 married couples in Renfrew district of the west of Scotland.


METHODS
Mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease over 15 year follow up.


RESULTS
Women who had heavier babies were taller, had higher body mass index and better lung function, and were less likely to be smokers than mothers of lighter babies. Fathers of heavier babies were taller and less likely to be smokers than fathers of lighter babies. Mortality was inversely related to offspring's birth weight for both mothers (relative rate for a 1 kg lower birth weight 1.82 (95% confidence interval 1.23 to 2.70)) and fathers (relative rate 1.35 (1.03 to 1.79)). For mortality from cardiovascular disease, inverse associations were seen for mothers (2.00 (1.18 to 3.33)) and fathers (1.52 (1.03 to 2.17)). Adjustment for blood pressure, plasma cholesterol, body mass index, height, social class, area based deprivation category, smoking, lung function, angina, bronchitis, and electrocardiographic evidence of ischaemia had little effect on these risk estimates, although levels of statistical significance were reduced.


CONCLUSIONS
Birth weight of offspring was related inversely to mortality, from all causes and cardiovascular disease, in this cohort. The strength of this association was greater than would have been expected by the degree of concordance of birth weights across generations, but an extensive range of potential confounding factors could not account for the association. Mortality is therefore influenced by a factor related to birth weight that is transmissible across generations.
Davey Smith
G
G
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol. zetkin@bristol.ac.uk
Hart
C
C
Ferrell
C
C
Upton
M
M
Hole
D
D
Hawthorne
V
V
Watt
G
G
D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002423:Cause of Death; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology