title: Grip strength at four years in relation to birth weight.
abstract: Consistent positive relationships have been found between birth weight and grip strength in adults but evidence in children is limited. In a prospective general population birth cohort (Southampton Women's Survey) grip strength and anthropometry (height and weight) were measured in 968 children at age 4 years. Mean (standard deviation (S.D.)) birth weight was 3.48 (0.52) kg. Birth weight, adjusted for sex and gestational age, was positively associated with grip strength (β= 0.22 kg/S.D. increase in adjusted birth weight; 95% CI 0.11, 0.34). The relationship was attenuated after adjustment for current height and weight such that it became non-significant (β= 0.03 kg/S.D. increase in adjusted birth weight; 95% CI -0.08, 0.14), suggesting that body size may be on the causal pathway. Early influences on muscle development appear to impact on grip strength in children as well as adults.
authors.affiliation: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dodds
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macdonald-Wallis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kapasi
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sayer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inskip
keywords: Birth weight; children; grip strength