Early life growth and hemostatic factors: the Barry Caerphilly Growth study.

ABSTRACT

Associations between early life growth trajectories and a range of adult (aged approximately 25 years) hemostatic factors were assessed in the Barry Caerphilly Growth study (N = 517) in South Wales, 1974-1999. Associations of birth weight, birth length, and weight and height velocities during three periods ("immediate" 0-<5 months, "infant" 5 months-<1 year 9 months, and "childhood" 1 year 9 months-5 years) with adult levels of hemostatic factors were assessed. Birth weight was inversely associated with fibrinogen (beta per 1-unit change in z score = -0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.15, -0.02). Immediate weight velocity was inversely associated with factor VII (beta = -1.88, 95% CI -3.84, 0.09), factor VIII (beta = -2.58, 95% CI -4.07, -0.45), and von Willebrand factor antigen (beta = -4.07, 95% CI -7.25, -0.89). Birth length was inversely associated with fibrinogen (beta = -0.07, 95% CI -0.14, -0.01). Evidence was weaker for an inverse association of immediate height velocity with factor VIII (beta = -2.16, 95% CI -4.62, 0.29) and von Willebrand factor antigen (beta = -2.85, 95% CI -6.52, 0.81). Childhood height velocity was positively associated with D-dimer (ratio of geometric means = 1.11, 95% CI 1.01, 1.23). Results support the view that the immediate postnatal period may be particularly important, possibly through impaired liver development and/or infection in early life, in determining cardiovascular disease risk.