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Growth and chronic disease: findings in the Helsinki Birth Cohort

Growth and chronic disease: findings in the Helsinki Birth Cohort
Growth and chronic disease: findings in the Helsinki Birth Cohort
There is now clear evidence that the pace and pathway of early growth is a major risk factor for the development of a group of chronic diseases that include coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. This has led to a new ‘developmental’ model for these disorders. The so-called ‘fetal origins hypothesis’ proposes that the disorders originate through developmental plasticity, whereby malnutrition during fetal life, infancy and early childhood permanently change the structure and function of the body, a phenomenon known as ‘programming’. This paper reviews recent findings in the Helsinki Birth Cohort, which comprises 13 345 men and women born in the city during 1934 - 944. There is also an older cohort comprising 7086 people born during 1924-1933. We review the paths of pre- and postnatal growth that lead to later disease. Children who later develop coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes grow slowly during fetal life and infancy but thereafter increase their body mass indices rapidly. Those who later develop stroke grow slowly in fetal life, infancy and during childhood. We also review how the growth of girls during infancy, childhood and at puberty influences chronic disease in the next generation.
prenatal growth, infant growth, pubertal growth
1464-5033
445-458
Barker, David J.P.
5c773838-b094-4ac1-999b-b5869717f243
Osmond, Clive
2677bf85-494f-4a78-adf8-580e1b8acb81
Kajantie, Eero
d68d55b6-6df1-4195-a914-44c738a6db93
Eriksson, Johan G.
eb96b1c5-af07-4a52-8a73-7541451d32cd
Barker, David J.P.
5c773838-b094-4ac1-999b-b5869717f243
Osmond, Clive
2677bf85-494f-4a78-adf8-580e1b8acb81
Kajantie, Eero
d68d55b6-6df1-4195-a914-44c738a6db93
Eriksson, Johan G.
eb96b1c5-af07-4a52-8a73-7541451d32cd

Barker, David J.P., Osmond, Clive, Kajantie, Eero and Eriksson, Johan G. (2009) Growth and chronic disease: findings in the Helsinki Birth Cohort. Annals of Human Biology, 36 (5), 445-458. (doi:10.1080/03014460902980295).

Record type: Article

Abstract

There is now clear evidence that the pace and pathway of early growth is a major risk factor for the development of a group of chronic diseases that include coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. This has led to a new ‘developmental’ model for these disorders. The so-called ‘fetal origins hypothesis’ proposes that the disorders originate through developmental plasticity, whereby malnutrition during fetal life, infancy and early childhood permanently change the structure and function of the body, a phenomenon known as ‘programming’. This paper reviews recent findings in the Helsinki Birth Cohort, which comprises 13 345 men and women born in the city during 1934 - 944. There is also an older cohort comprising 7086 people born during 1924-1933. We review the paths of pre- and postnatal growth that lead to later disease. Children who later develop coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes grow slowly during fetal life and infancy but thereafter increase their body mass indices rapidly. Those who later develop stroke grow slowly in fetal life, infancy and during childhood. We also review how the growth of girls during infancy, childhood and at puberty influences chronic disease in the next generation.

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More information

Published date: 2009
Keywords: prenatal growth, infant growth, pubertal growth

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 69000
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/69000
ISSN: 1464-5033
PURE UUID: a00a208b-f8cb-48c3-a47a-4976dff80763
ORCID for Clive Osmond: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9054-4655

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 13 Oct 2009
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:38

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Contributors

Author: David J.P. Barker
Author: Clive Osmond ORCID iD
Author: Eero Kajantie
Author: Johan G. Eriksson

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