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Birthweight-for-gestational-age z-scores are associated with early childhood cardiometabolic health in the Peri/Postnatal Epigenetic Twin Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2021

Deborah N. Ashtree Open the ORCID record for Deborah N. Ashtree [Opens in a new window] ,
Mihiri J. Silva ,
Cong Sun ,
Jeffrey M. Craig  and
Katrina J. Scurrah
Deborah N. Ashtree
Affiliation:
Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia Twins Research Australia, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
Mihiri J. Silva
Affiliation:
Inflammatory Origins, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia
Cong Sun
Affiliation:
Epigenetics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia
Jeffrey M. Craig
Affiliation:
Epigenetics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia IMPACT – the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Australia
Katrina J. Scurrah*
Affiliation:
Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia Twins Research Australia, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Katrina J. Scurrah, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Email: kscurrah@unimelb.edu.au
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Abstract

Birthweight has been consistently related to risk of cardiometabolic disorders in later life. Twins are at higher risk of low birthweight than singletons, so understanding the links between birthweight and cardiometabolic health may be particularly important for twins. However, evidence for the association of birthweight with childhood markers of cardiometabolic health in twins is currently lacking. Previous studies have often failed to appropriately adjust for gestational age or fully implement twin regression models. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association of birthweight-for-gestational-age z-scores with childhood cardiometabolic health in twins, using within-between regression models. The Peri/Postnatal Epigenetic Twins Study is a Melbourne-based prospective cohort study of 250 twin pairs. Birthweight was recorded at delivery, and childhood anthropometric measures were taken at 18-month and 6-year follow-up visits. Associations of birthweight with markers of cardiometabolic health were assessed at the individual, between- and within-pair level using linear regression with generalised estimating equations. Birthweight-for-gestational-age z-scores were associated with height, weight and BMI at 18 months and 6 years, but not with blood pressure (twins-as-individual SBP: β = 0.15, 95% CI: −0.81, 1.11; twins-as-individual DBP: β = 0.22, 95% CI: −0.34, 0.77). We found little evidence to indicate that the within-between models improved on the twins-as-individuals models. Birthweight was associated with childhood anthropometric measures, but not blood pressure, after appropriately adjusting for gestational age. These associations were consistent across the within-between and twins-as-individuals models. After adjusting for gestational age, results from the twins-as-individuals models are consistent with singleton studies, so these results can be applied to the general population.

Keywords

Birthweightadiposityblood pressurecardiometabolic healthtwins
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , August 2022 , pp. 514 - 522
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

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