Fetal growth and early postnatal growth are related to blood pressure in adults

It is commonly agreed that birth weight is associated with blood pressure i n adults. However, not much is known about birth length, ponderal index, an d early postnatal growth, whose effects on adult blood pressure, if any, ca n affect the interpretation of the birth weight-blood pressure association. This study examined the association between fetal growth, early postnatal growth, and blood pressure in Chinese adults. One hundred twenty-two subjec ts born in Hong Kong in 1967 were followed from birth to age 30 years. Mult iple linear regression was used to analyze the association between size at birth, postnatal changes in body size, and systolic and diastolic blood pre ssure at age 30 years. Having adjusted for potential confounders and each o ther explanatory variable, it is found that birth length standard deviation score (regression coefficient or beta = -3.2), ponderal index at birth (be ta = -1.8), and postnatal changes in ponderal index from age 6 months to 18 months (beta = -2.2) were inversely associated with systolic blood pressur e (each P < 0.05). Postnatal changes in length standard deviation score wer e not significantly associated with systolic blood pressure. Birth length s tandard deviation score was inversely associated with diastolic blood press ure at age 30 years (<beta> = -2.6; P < 0.05). Other anthropometric variabl es were not associated with diastolic blood pressure. The results support t he hypotheses that both fetal growth and early postnatal growth may have a long-term impact on blood pressure in adults. It also highlights the import ance of differentiating length and weight for length.