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Birth weights smaller or larger than the placenta predict BMI and blood pressure at age 7 years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2010

D. P. Misra ,
C. M. Salafia ,
A. K. Charles  and
R. K. Miller
D. P. Misra
Affiliation:
Division of Population Health Sciences, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
C. M. Salafia*
Affiliation:
Placental Analytics, LLC, Larchmont, NY, USA Institute for Basic Research, Staten Island, NY, USA
A. K. Charles
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth WA, Australia
R. K. Miller
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Environmental Medicine, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester NY, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Dr C. M. Salafia, 93, Colonial Ave, Larchmont, New York, USA. (Email carolyn.salafia@gmail.com)
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Abstract

We hypothesized that the altered placental proportions that influence birth weight affect childhood body proportions, and that these effects would be independent of birth weight. We also hypothesized that altered placental proportions might affect the fetal cardiovascular system, and may be reflected in variation in childhood blood pressure. By using linear regression with birth weight as the dependent variable, placental variables were entered as predictors. The predicted birth weights based on placental factors were then obtained. The ratio of the actual birth weight to that predicted by placental parameters (observed/expected ratio, OER) was used as the independent variable in analyses of age 7 year body mass index (BMI) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the 15,902 singleton liveborns delivered between 34 and 43 weeks. The standardized residual birth weight was also used as a variable to examine the effects of birth weight that is not consistent with placental parameters. For each unit increase in the OER, BMI at 7 years increased 1 kg/m2 (P < 0.0001). The OER also had a significant effect on DBP (β = 4.52, P < 0.001) at 7 years of age but only among African-American children. Results for the standardized residual birth weight variable were consistent with the OER. All results were adjusted for gestational age, sex, socioeconomic status, African-American race and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. Being larger or smaller than predicted by one’s placenta affects childhood body composition and blood pressure. The placental measurements provide insight into pathophysiological mechanisms of the developmental origins of adult disease.

Keywords

placentablood pressureBMIchildhoodrace
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 1 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 123 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2010

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