While there are many reasons why good health during pregnancy is important, especially for the baby's sake, a team of Swedish researchers may have discovered another one:
The parents of babies born with low birth weights have a greater risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases.
Previous studies have indicated that poor fetal growth is associated with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases later in life; however, these Swedish researchers went even deeper than that, using a completely new approach by also investigating the risk posed to fathers.
Discovering the Link
By comparing data of Swedish parents in relation to their children born between the years 1973 to 1980--involving almost 800,000 children--researchers were able to analyze the link between a baby's birth weight and parental mortality rates. (The deaths--and causes of death--of 10,368 mothers and 22,807 fathers had been recorded by date.)
Findings indicated:
In addition to cardiovascular diseases, low birth weight was also associated with an increased risk of all other causes of death.
Mothers remain at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease than fathers.
The inverse association between birth weight and cardiovascular disease mortality was greatest for parents who died at younger ages.
What is the cause? Researchers blame genetic factors for affecting both birth weight and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the next step is to conduct more in-depth research in hopes of discovering which genetic factors (if any) may be responsible for this link.
Epidemiology July 2005 16(4):563-9
Science Blog June 28, 2005
This interesting study suggests that a baby's birth weight is a risk factor for future heart disease for the mother and provides another warning that, if heeded, can avert future problems.
Birth weights have also been associated with other conditions. Oversized, chubby newborns are commonly born to mothers who ate too much sugar and carbohydrates during their pregnancy.
On the other side of the coin, underweight or premature newborns often have mothers who smoked during pregnancy or had one or more nutritional deficiencies, especially protein.
Excellent advice on the most important foods to consume before, during and after pregnancy, and how they can benefit your health and the health of your growing baby, can be found at the Weston A. Price Foundation.
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