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Review
. 2023 Jun 5:14:1187261.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1187261. eCollection 2023.

Birth size, growth trajectory and later cardio-metabolic risk

Chiara Cauzzo  1 , Valentina Chiavaroli  2 , Susanna Di Valerio  2 , Francesco Chiarelli  1
Affiliations
Review

Birth size, growth trajectory and later cardio-metabolic risk

Chiara Cauzzo et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

There is increasing evidence of a strong association between intrauterine growth and subsequent development of chronic disease in adult life. Birth size and growth trajectory have been demonstrated to have an impact on cardio-metabolic health, both in childhood and adult life. Hence, careful observation of the children's growth pattern, starting from the intrauterine period and the first years of life, should be emphasized to detect the possible onset of cardio-metabolic sequelae. This allows to intervene on them as soon as they are detected, first of all through lifestyle interventions, whose efficacy seems to be higher when they are started early. Recent papers suggest that prematurity may constitute an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, regardless of birth weight. The purpose of the present review is to examine and summarize the available knowledge about the dynamic association between intrauterine and postnatal growth and cardio-metabolic risk, from childhood to adulthood.

Keywords: birth weight; cardiovascular risk; intrauterine growth; preterm; small for gestational age.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cardio-metabolic consequences linked to intrauterine and postnatal growth.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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