title: The Effect of Prenatal and Childhood Development on Hearing, Vision and Cognition in Adulthood.
abstract: It is unclear what the contribution of prenatal versus childhood development is for adult cognitive and sensory function and age-related decline in function. We examined hearing, vision and cognitive function in adulthood according to self-reported birth weight (an index of prenatal development) and adult height (an index of early childhood development). Subsets (N = 37,505 to 433,390) of the UK Biobank resource were analysed according to visual and hearing acuity, reaction time and fluid IQ. Sensory and cognitive performance was reassessed after ~4 years (N = 2,438 to 17,659). In statistical modelling including age, sex, socioeconomic status, educational level, smoking, maternal smoking and comorbid disease, adult height was positively associated with sensory and cognitive function (partial correlations; pr 0.05 to 0.12, p < 0.001). Within the normal range of birth weight (10th to 90th percentile), there was a positive association between birth weight and sensory and cognitive function (pr 0.06 to 0.14, p < 0.001). Neither adult height nor birth weight was associated with change in sensory or cognitive function. These results suggest that adverse prenatal and childhood experiences are a risk for poorer sensory and cognitive function and earlier development of sensory and cognitive impairment in adulthood. This finding could have significant implications for preventing sensory and cognitive impairment in older age.
authors: School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors: Piers
authors: P
authors: Dawes
authors: Population Health Sciences and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors: Karen J
authors: KJ
authors: Cruickshanks
authors: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America; NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, Nottingham, United Kingdom; MRC Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: Moore
authors: NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Fortnum
authors: NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Edmondson-Jones
authors: NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, Nottingham, United Kingdom; MRC Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors: Abby
authors: A
authors: McCormack
authors: School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; Central Manchester Universities Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors: Kevin J
authors: KJ
authors: Munro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D006113:United Kingdom