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Low Birth Weight Tied to Heart Disease, Diabetes Risk in Adulthood CHEVY CHASE, Md -- April 1, 2009 -- Lower weight at birth may increase inflammatory processes in adulthood, which are associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, according to a study released early online and appearing in the June print issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Studies have previously suggested babies with lower weight at birth are at a higher risk for developing chronic diseases but until now, there has been little understanding to explain why. This study suggests an association between lower weight at birth and inflammation in adulthood may provide that explanation. Earlier studies have found that babies born small for gestational age have weak immune systems, but at age 6 have more white blood cells than babies born at a normal weight. These findings suggest that age might amplify the association between early growth and inflammatory processes. For the current study, researchers followed 5,619 children born in 1966 and followed them up until they reached adulthood. As compared with children with normal weight in the first year of life, researchers observed that babies born relatively smaller and gained the least weight during infancy had a higher number of white blood cells. "Our findings suggest that the link between poorer growth early in life and these adult chronic diseases may involve inflammation as a common underlying factor," said lead researcher Dexter Canoy, MD, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom. "Ensuring appropriate growth during this narrow window in early development may confer lifelong benefits to health." SOURCE: The Endocrine Society E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version