Intergenerational effects of preterm birth and reduced intrauterine growth: a population‐based study of Swedish mother–offspring pairs

Abstract

Objective To estimate the intergenerational effects of preterm birth and reduced intrauterine growth.Design Population-based cohort study.Settings Mother-first-born offspring pairs recorded in the Swedish Medical Birth Registry.Population Children born before 2001 to 38 720 women born in 1973-75.Methods The relationships between the mother's and the child's birth characteristics were estimated using logistic regression analysis. Adjustments were made for smoking habits, body mass index (BMI), and current and childhood socio-economic conditions. Analyses were performed on all mother-offspring pairs and on the pairs for which information on neither of the included background variables was missing (n = 24 520).Main outcome measures Preterm birth (<37 weeks of gestation) and small for gestational age (SGA) (<-2 SD of the Swedish standard).Results Mothers who themselves had been born preterm were not significantly more likely to deliver their own children preterm, compared with those who had been born at term (adjusted OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.95-1.62). Also, preterm birth in the mothers did not influence the occurrence of SGA in the children. However, the odds ratio for giving birth to SGA and preterm children, respectively, was higher among SGA mothers (OR 2.68, 95% CI 2.11-3.41 and OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.05-1.61). Mothers whose intrauterine growth was moderately reduced but who did not meet the criterion of being born SGA were also at higher risk of giving birth to both preterm and SGA children, respectively. ConclusionsThe present study showed evidence of intergenerational effects of reduced intrauterine growth even when socio-economic factors as well as BMI and smoking were adjusted for. There was, however, no consistent intergenerational effect of preterm birth.

Birth Characteristics’ Impacton Future Reproduction and Morbidity Among Twins an dSingletons

“…These findings are also in accordance with a previous study by Selling et al 71 , which found an intergenerational effect of mothers born SGA having a greater risk for delivering a SGA child. However, unlike this study we were able to establish that singleton women born preterm were more likely to deliver their own children both preterm or SGA.…”

“…In a previous study, on partly the same data as this thesis, on the heritability of preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction among singletons, it was found that women born SGA were more likely to themselves give birth to a child born SGA or preterm 71 . A more recent study added knowledge on the heritability by showing that women born in a spontaneous preterm delivery were more likely to repeat this in their own pregnancies 72 .…”

Association between small for gestational age and paternally inherited 5′ insulin haplotypes

“…21 estimated that about 46% of the predisposition to be delivered SGA is due to genetic factors, with maternal and paternal components of 27.5 and 18.5%, respectively. Consistent with this recent research, SGA births tend both to cluster in families and to recur in successive generations, [22][23][24][25][26] even after adjustment for parental anthropometry and socioeconomic status.…”

Maternal birth characteristics and perinatal mortality in twin offspring. An intergenerational population-based study in Norway, 1967-2008

“…1,2 Studies have shown the recurrence of preterm birth and low birthweight across generations. [3][4][5][6] So far, there have been relatively few studies on the impact of preterm birth and impaired fetal growth on later fertility, 7 the capacity to manage a successful pregnancy and perinatal outcome in offspring. A recent study found a significantly higher risk of perinatal death in offspring to mothers who were born very preterm or had a birthweight below 2000 g. 8 Multiple pregnancies were excluded from all of these intergenerational studies.…”