Secular trends of birthweight in boys from 1950 to 2010

Jimmy Célind; Marie Hedlund; Maria Bygdell; Arvid Sondén; Anders Elfvin; Jenny M Kindblom

doi:10.1016/j.pedneo.2019.01.012

Secular trends of birthweight in boys from 1950 to 2010

Pediatr Neonatol. 2019 Oct;60(5):543-548. doi: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2019.01.012. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Authors

Jimmy Célind¹, Marie Hedlund², Maria Bygdell³, Arvid Sondén⁴, Anders Elfvin⁵, Jenny M Kindblom⁶

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Pediatrics, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
² Pediatrics, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Bioinformatics Core Facility, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁶ Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: jenny.kindblom@gu.se.

PMID: 30808557
DOI: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2019.01.012

Abstract

Background: Birthweight is an indicator of fetal development and intrauterine conditions and is associated with future health outcomes. Secular birthweight trends prior to the 1970s are mostly unknown. Our aim was to explore secular birthweight trends in Swedish boys from 1950 to 2010.

Methods: We have collected detailed growth data including birthweight from archived School Health Care records for children born in Gothenburg from 1946 and onwards and established a unique population-based cohort, the Body Mass Index Epidemiology Study (BEST). The birthweight cohort spans six decades (1950-2010) and includes 46,548 boys.

Results: The mean birthweight of the complete study cohort was 3580 ± 562 g. Linear regression analysis of the entire period revealed a minimal negative secular trend for birthweight (BETA = -0.4 g/year; p < 0.01). However, three distinct trends appeared during sub-periods: a decrease 1950-80, an increase 1980-2000 and another decrease 2000-2010.

Conclusion: We demonstrate that birthweight in boys has undergone periodic decreases and subsequent increases, but the overall trend from the 1950s to the present is stable.

Keywords: birthweight; epidemiology; fetal growth; secular trends.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Birth Weight*
Body Mass Index
Cohort Studies
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Linear Models
Male
Time Factors