A longitudinal study of birth weight and being overweight in late adolescence

Article Abstract:

Obesity is associated with a number of health problems such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Efforts to treat obesity in adults have not been very successful. Consequently, many researchers have turned to examining ways of preventing obesity. Identifying risk factors for developing obesity is the first step in prevention. Studies have shown relations between weight during childhood and risk for obesity in adulthood. This study examined if there was a relation between birth weight and obesity in late adolescence. Birth weights were obtained from 33,413 infants born between 1964 and 1971 in Jerusalem, Israel. Weights at 17 years of age were obtained as was other pertinent data, such as ethnicity and birth order. The subjects were categorized as normal weight, overweight, or severely overweight and results were compared with birth weights. Findings showed that the odds ratios for being overweight at age 17 were increasingly greater for those with birth weights in the ranges of 3,500 to 3,999 grams, 4,000 to 4,499 grams, and above 4,500 grams. (These weights correspond to 7.7 to 8.7 pounds, 8.8 to 9.8 pounds, and above 9.9 pounds, respectively.) For males with birth weights of greater than 4,500 grams (9.8 pounds), the adjusted odds ratios for being overweight and severely overweight at age 17 were 2.16 and 2.30, respectively. For females with birth weights of greater than 4,500 grams (9.8 pounds), the odds ratios for being overweight and severely overweight at age 17 were 2.95 and 4.39, respectively. However, by numbers, more people with normal birth weights were overweight at age 17. These results indicate that birth weight is associated with obesity in late adolescence, but that the ability to use birth weight in predicting who will become overweight is too poor to be useful in identifying those at high risk for obesity. Ethnic and environmental factors are discussed in relation to other research findings. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Prevention, Risk factors, Obesity, Obesity in adolescence, Adolescent obesity

---

Apgar scores and cognitive performance at 17 years of age

Article Abstract:

The Apgar scoring system was developed over 30 years ago by Virginia Apgar. It was designed to ascertain the health of the newborn and predict the chances of survival. It involves examining the infant's heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, response to stimulation, and skin color immediately (one and five minutes) after birth. A maximum of two points is given for each of the five categories examined. A score of 10 is a perfect score and designates a healthy baby. In some cases, Apgar scores have been used in attempts to predict the neurological and intellectual development of the newborn. It has been suggested that a low Apgar score may be associated with a lower level of intellectual development (cognitive function) later in life. Several studies have tried to relate Apgar scores to intellectual development and have concluded that the predictive significance of the Apgar score may be overestimated. This article describes the results of a 17-year study designed to investigate the relationship between Apgar scores and intellectual development. The study included 1,942 infants with Apgar scores between 4 and 7. Seventeen years later, the same 1,942 subjects were given an intelligence test (IQ test) and the results of the testing were compared with the Apgar scores determined immediately after birth. There was no association between the Apgar scores and the results of the IQ test. The results of this study are in agreement with the conclusion of the American Academy of Pediatrics, namely that Apgar scores should not be used by themselves as evidence of neurologic damage that could impair intellectual development. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Standards, Child development, Apgar score, Intelligence tests

---

Are children born small for gestational age at increased risk of short stature?

Article Abstract:

Infants who are born small for their gestational age (SGA) may have a higher risk of shorter stature during adolescence. These infants may never catch up with infants born at a size appropriate for their gestational age (AGA), despite a period of accelerated growth after birth. Among 1,758 infants born at a university hospital, whose height was measured at the age of 17 years, 64 were SGA and 1,694 were AGA. Seventeen-year-olds who were SGA were an average of five centimeters shorter than their peers who were AGA. The risk of shorter stature was more than four times higher for adolescent boys who were SGA than those who were AGA. The risk was more than three times higher in adolescent girls who were SGA than in those who were AGA. Factors that can cause an infant to be born SGA include intrauterine infection, chromosomal abnormalities, maternal diseases and substance abuse.

Causes of, Physiological aspects, Infants (Newborn), Newborn infants, Growth, Gestational age, Stature, Short, Short stature, Birth size

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: A longitudinal study of back pain and radiological changes in the lumbar spines of middle aged women. II. Radiographic findings
• Abstracts: A prospective evaluation of the effect of tumor cell DNA content on recurrence in colorectal cancer. Variability in DNA measurements in multiple tumor samples of human colonic carcinoma
• Abstracts: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and peptic ulcer disease
• Abstracts: Management of radionecrosis of the vulva and distal vagina. Accuracy of pelvic examination in the assessment of patients with operable cervical cancer
• Abstracts: In utero diagnosis and management of fetal subdural hematoma. The impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on frontal cortex development in utero

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.