Abstract P145: Association Between Birth Weight and Childhood and Maternal Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Full Term Birth Infants

Abstract

Introduction: Reported associations between birth weight (BTW) and childhood cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors have been inconsistent. The relationship between infants’ BTW and later maternal CVD is also a more recent and active area of research. We aimed to examine the association between BTW and subsequent childhood and maternal CVD risk factors 11 years post-partum. Methods: The study used longitudinally linked data from three cross-sectional datasets in West Virginia (N=19,583). The outcome variables included blood pressure for children and lipid levels for both mothers and children. The exposure was BTW of the infants born full-term. The role of the child’s current body mass index (BMI) was assessed as a potential mediator. Results: Unadjusted analyses showed a positive association between BTW and the child’s systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and a negative association with triglycerides (TGs). When adjusted for the child’s BMI, the association became non-significant for SBP and DBP but remained significant for HDL [β= 0.14 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.11, 0.18) per1000g increase in BTW] and TGs [β= -0.007 mg/dL (-0.008, -0.005) per 1000g increase in BTW]. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and non-HDL became significant and negatively associated with BTW in the adjusted analysis [LDL (β = -0.1 mg/dL (-0.19, - 0.16) per 1000 g increase in BTW; non-HDL (b = - 0.18 mg/dL (-0.28, -0.09) per 1000 g increase in BTW]. There was a positive association between infant’s birth weight and maternal total cholesterol (TC) levels, which became non-significant in the adjusted analysis [β = 0.4 (95% CI: -0.01, 0.90) mg/dL per1000g increase in birth weight]. None of the other maternal lipids levels (LDL, HDL, and TG) were significant in the unadjusted or the adjusted analysis. Conclusion: Low BTW was associated with higher LDL, non-HDL, and TGs, and lower HDL levels in fifth grade children independent of the current weight status. As childhood CVD risk factors persist and are often amplified over time, these small effect sizes can have potential unfavorable consequences on lipid levels in later adulthood.