title: Grip strength at 4 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 the age of 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: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dodds
authors.affiliation: 2MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macdonald-Wallis
authors.affiliation: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kapasi
authors.affiliation: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sayer
authors.affiliation: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.affiliation: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: 1MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inskip