Birth Weight and Length as Predictors for Children Height at 2–6 years of Age

Abstract

P-789 Introduction: The association between birth weight, birth length and height has been well documented in literature. There, has been increasing interest in influence of race and ethnic factor on the association. We examined possible association between birth weight, birth length and height in Chuvash children at the age of 2–3 and 4–6. Methods: The longitudinal study was covered 523 people (262 girls and 261 boys) at 2 to 3 years of age living in Novocheboksarsk city of the Chuvash Republic. All these children were born at time. Data on height, birth weight and birth length were obtain from,, the history of development of a child”(HDC). HDC contains birth weight, birth length and height of a child of each age period, which were measured by nurses. Data on birth weight and birth length, obtained from HDC, were compared with height at the age of 2–3 and 4–6. We used correlation and regression analysis for estimate the association. Results: The results of correlation analysis witness of statistic strong positive association between birth weight, birth length and height in children at the age of 2–3 years and 4–6 years. Boys’ birth length (r = 0.18, p<0.05) and birth weight (r = 0.16, p<0.05) is associated with height at age 2–3 years, unlike girls, of which this association was not found (accordingly r = 0.1, p>0.05; r = 0.11, p>0.05). The similar actions permitted find statistic strong positive association between examined variables at age 4–6 years. At boys’ degree of countenance association between birth weight, birth length and height increased at age 4–6 years (accordingly r = 0.21, p<0.05; r = 0.24, p<0.05), and find association between birth weight in girls (r = 0.16, p<0.05). For deeper estimate of the relation between birth weight, birth length and height at the age of 2–3 and 4–6 we used regression analysis, in which the covariate was age. We found a clear association between birth weight, birth length and height at the age of 2–3 years and 4–6 years; the association was most expressed for birth length in boys at the age of 2–6 and for birth weight in girls at age 4–6 years. Discussion and conclusion: The results of our research of the association between birth weight and height, birth length and height are in agreement with conclusions other authors and prove about importance of birth weight and birth length as cofactors in epidemiological research in Chuvashia.