title: Preterm birth--a risk factor for type 2 diabetes? The Helsinki birth cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association between low birth weight and type 2 diabetes is well established. We studied whether preterm birth carries a similar risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Helsinki Birth Cohort includes 13,345 men and women born between 1934 and 1944. Of them, 12,813 had adequate data on length of gestation, which we linked with data on special reimbursement for diabetes medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the subjects, 5.1% had received special reimbursement after age 40. In subjects born before 35 weeks of gestation, the odds ratio for diabetes was 1.68 (95% CI 1.06-2.65) compared with that in those born at term. After adjustment for birth weight relative to length of gestation, the odds ratio was 1.59 (1.00-2.52).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preterm birth before 35 weeks of gestation is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adult life. The risk is independent of that associated with slow fetal growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. eero.kajantie@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osmond
authors.forename: David J P
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Johan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors
references.citation: Diabetes. 2009 Mar;58(3):523-6
references.pmid: 19066311
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2004 Nov 18;351(21):2179-86
references.pmid: 15548778
references.citation: J Pediatr. 2010 Oct;157(4):610-6, 616.e1
references.pmid: 20493499
references.citation: Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2007 Sep;21 Suppl 2:72-8
references.pmid: 17803620
references.citation: Diabetologia. 2006 Dec;49(12):2853-8
references.pmid: 17096117
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May;94(5):1695-700
references.pmid: 19258405
references.citation: Diabetes Care. 2003 Nov;26(11):3006-10
references.pmid: 14578231
references.citation: Stroke. 2007 Feb;38(2):264-70
references.pmid: 17218608
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2005 Oct 27;353(17):1802-9
references.pmid: 16251536
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2007 May 17;356(20):2053-63
references.pmid: 17507704
references.citation: JAMA. 2008 Dec 24;300(24):2886-97
references.pmid: 19109117
references.citation: Diabetologia. 2006 Nov;49(11):2614-7
references.pmid: 17016693