Change in food availability during pregnancy: Is it related to adult sudden death from cerebro- and cardiovascular disease in offspring?

Maternal access to food during pregnancy affects birth weight and other cha racteristics of offspring. It has been suggested that fluctuations in food availability during infancy, ranging from plentiful to starvation, may infl uence cerebro-cardiovascular risk factors for the offspring during adult li fe. This study was designed to test the correlation between food availabili ty changes during life before birth and adult sudden death from disease. Th is was a follow-up study of ancient cohorts in the parish of Skelleftea, Sw eden, comprising 7,572 individuals born between 1805 and 1849 and still ali ve at age 40. Food availability variations in the parish during their prena tal life were ascertained from historical sources, the main outcome measure s being overall mortality and mortality from sudden death in the age range 40-70 years. The risk of sudden death was almost doubled for those whose mo thers were struck by a poor harvest during the early stages of pregnancy, b ut who experienced a good harvest toward the end. Yet almost the same over- risk was evident for the converse case: plentiful food supply in early preg nancy followed by a poor harvest toward the end. A stable maternal access t o food during pregnancy is important for the offspring's risk of sudden dea th from cerebro- and cardiovascular disease as an adult. (C) 2000 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.