FIBRINOGEN AND FACTOR-VII IN MALE NEONATES

Recent studies have suggested that retarded fetal and early growth pre disposes to cardiovascular disease of males in adult life. This is par tly explicable by an association between the haemostatic variables fib rinogen and factor VII and the placenta/birth weight ratio. Since many characteristics influence clotting factors during life, levels of fib rinogen and clotting factor VII were measured in cord blood of male ne onates. The placenta/birth weight ratio did not correlate with the bir th weight for gestational age and appeared to be only a minor indicato r of fetal growth. These findings make it unlikely that the level of f etal outcome 'programmes' male neonates via fibrinogen or factor VII t o develop cardiovascular disease in adult life.