title: Relationship between neonatal gastroschisis and maternal body mass index in a United Kingdom population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been reported that gastroschisis is associated with low maternal body mass index (BMI). We tested this hypothesis in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied cases of gastroschisis ascertained from the regional fetal congenital anomaly register. We compared each affected mother with two controls from the birth register and maternity database. The first control was the next mother to deliver in the hospital, representing the normal population of mothers. The second control was the next mother to deliver an unaffected child whose age was within one year of that of the index case controlling for maternal age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a strong inverse association between maternal age and gastroschisis. An inverse association between gastroschisis and birth order was eliminated by adjustment for maternal age. The average age of mothers of affected children was 22.1 years; of the next delivery control was 28.8 years, and of the age matched control was 22.2 years. A weak non-statistically significant negative association between BMI and gastroschisis was further weakened by adjustment for maternal age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm the previously reported association between low maternal age and gastroschisis but suggest that within our UK population the link between low BMI and gastroschisis reported elsewhere is explained by younger mothers being thinner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton, S016 5YA, UK. Electronic address: Joann.hale@uhs.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Joann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton, S016 5YA, UK.
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derbyshire
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton, S016 5YA, UK.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, S016 6YD, UK.
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osmond
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Genetics, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton, SO16 5YA, UK.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wellesley
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton, S016 5YA, UK.
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Howe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gastroschisis; Maternal BMI; Maternal age