Fetal-Origins Overviews
Aims
These analyses are exploring the strength of evidence for the idea that impaired fetal and neonatal growth affect health in later life
Methods
Meta-analyses of all studies that have reported on the associations between size at birth with subsequent cholesterol, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.
Status/Results
New analyses of the associations of birth weight with cholesterol and coronary heart disease have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A meta-analysis of the association between birthweight and type-2 diabetes has recently been submitted and the results are expected to be published late 2008.
Publications
Huxley R, Owen CG, Whincup PW, Cook DG, Rich-Edwards J, Smith GD, Collins R. Is birth weight a risk factor for ischemic heart disease in later life? Am J Clin Nutr. 2007; 85:1244-50.
Huxley R, Owen CG, Whincup PW, Cook DG, Colman S, Collins R. Birth weight and subsequent cholesterol levels: Exploration of the "Fetal Origins" Hypothesis. JAMA. 2004;292:2755-2785.
Huxley R. Protein, programming and plumpness - is there a link? Clin Sci. 2004;106:113-4.
Huxley R, Neil A, Collins R. Unravelling the "Fetal-Origins" Hypothesis: Is there really an inverse association between birth weight and blood pressure? Lancet. 2002;360:659-65.
Huxley R. Associations between fetal growth and adult disease: are they causal? In: Editor: Langley-Evans S, editor. Fetal Nutrition and Adult Disease: Programming of chronic disease through fetal exposure to undernutrition. Edinburgh: CABI Publishing; 2004.
Huxley R. Does SGA birth have long-term influences on metabolism? Highlights 2004.
Huxley R. Commentary: Modifying body weight not birth weight is the key to lowering blood pressure. Int J Epidem. 2002;31:1051-53.
Institute Investigators
Collaborators
- Clinical Trial Service Unit, University of Oxford, UK
- University of Bristol, UK
- St George's Hospital, London, UK
- Harvard School of Public Health