Babies born prematurely or at low birth weight are at risk of developing smaller, less efficient brains or health problems that increase the risk of heart disease, according to two new studies. Although these children may face potential disadvantages during their life, researchers in both studies – published in the online version of the journal Pediatrics – concluded that these obstacles can be overcome.
These two papers both represent a deconstruction of the idea that your future is written in your genes,” said Dr. Edward McCabe, chief medical officer of the March of Dimes. “The things that happen to us in utero [in the womb] or when we should be in utero appear to have an impact on the rest of our lives, but there are steps you can take to modify these outcomes.”
The researchers explained that for babies with a small birth size, education seems to counteract the potentially harmful effects on their brain performance. Also, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can be modified through diet and exercise.
The first study, conducted by the National Institute on Aging, used data on more than 1,200 babies born in Iceland to track brain development for over 75 years. The research team had access to decades-old midwives’ records, which allowed them to compare the weight and size at birth with the now senior participant’s development.
The researchers found that babies who born with a smaller size tend to have smaller brains at the end of their lives; but only held true for babies raised by less educated people.
In the second study, researchers in Finland found that 16-year-old who had been born prematurely showed risk factors that could contribute to developing heart diseases later. The study involved over 6,600 teens, about 5 percent of whom had been born preterm.
Specifically, girls who born prematurely were two and a half times more likely to have high blood pressure than girls who born within the normal period of gestation.
On average, boys that age who had been born preterm had nearly 7 percent higher total cholesterol levels and nearly 12 percent higher levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.
However, McCabe and the Finnish researchers noted that a healthy lifestyle can help overcome these risk factors, even in kids whose birth circumstances put them at greater risk. “The modification is exercise,” he said. “We know that exercise improves blood pressure control, and it improves our blood cholesterol levels.”
Through: Health Library
