Birth weight and risk of asthma in 3–9-year-old twins: exploring the fetal origins hypothesis. Issue 2 (8th December 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kindlund, Karin; Thomsen, Simon Francis; Stensballe, Lone Graff; Skytthe, Axel; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Backer, Vibeke; Bisgaard, Hans
• Is Part Of: Thorax. Volume 65:Issue 2(2010)
• Page Start: 146
• Page End: 149
• Publication Date: 2009-12-08
• Subjects: Asthma -- birth weight -- twins -- fetal origins hypothesis; Chest -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Thorax; Chest -- Diseases; Periodicals; Periodicals; 617.54
• DOI: 10.1136/thx.2009.117101
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0040-6376

Abstract

Abstract : Aim: To examine the relationship between birth weight and risk of asthma in a population of twins. Methods: Birth weight of all live twins (8280 pairs) born in Denmark between 1994 and 2000 was linked to information on asthma obtained from parent-completed questionnaires at age 3–9 years. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the risk of asthma. Results: Subjects with a history of asthma at age 3–9 years weighed on average 122 g (95% CI 85 to 160) less at birth than subjects who had not developed asthma, p<0.001. There was a linear increase in asthma risk with decreasing birth weight, OR (per 100 g) 1.04 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.05), p<0.001. Within twin pairs, the lower birthweight twin had a significantly increased risk of asthma compared with the heavier co-twin (11.3% vs 9.9%), OR 1.30 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.54), p=0.002. The result remained significant after adjusting for sex, birth length and Apgar score, OR 1.31 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.65), p=0.027. The risk tended to be higher in monozygotic co-twins compared with dizygotic co-twins, especially for high birth weight differences. Conclusions: Low birth weight is a risk factor for asthma independently of gestational age, sex, birth length and Apgar score, but this may be due, in part, to residual non-genetic confounding factors. This finding lends support to the "fetal origins hypothesis" suggesting undisclosed prenatal determinants for the risk of asthma.