Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Parents of Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age

Abstract

Small for gestational age (SGA) children have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors at a young age. It is not known whether this increased risk is caused by their size at birth, a familial predisposition for cardiovascular disease or smallness at birth or a combination of these factors. The cardiovascular risk profile of parents of SGA children is unknown. We compared anthropometry, blood pressure, fasting serum lipid, glucose, and insulin levels of 482 parents (mean age 41 y) and 286 short SGA children with age- and sex-matched references. We also investigated whether these parameters correlated between parents and their offspring. Mothers had higher systolic blood pressure, fathers had a higher body mass index and parents had more frequently high fasting glucose levels than age- and sex-matched references. Children had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than sex- and height-matched references. Twenty-four percent (mothers) and 10% (fathers) were born SGA but they did not have more cardiovascular risk factors than those born appropriate for gestational age. Cardiovascular risk factors did not correlate between parents and children. In conclusion, parents of short SGA children have a modest increase in some cardiovascular risk factors but risk factors did not correlate between parents and children.