Born small for gestational age: relation to future allergy and asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) protects against the development of allergy.


METHODS
A case-control study of 1515 subjects (15-25 y), of whom 430 were cases (birthweight/length below -2 SD for gestational age). Birth data were from the national birth register. The frequencies of allergic diseases were evaluated by questionnaire.


RESULTS
For the 950 who replied, the frequencies of allergic diseases were similar in cases and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
IUGR does not protect against the development of allergy.
Hesselmar
B
B
Department of Paediatrics, Göteborg University, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sweden. bill.hesselmar@medfak.gu.se
Dahlgren
J
J
Wennergren
G
G
Aberg
N
N
Albertsson-Wiklan
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology