Birth weight, cognitive decline . . . and other stories
BMJ 2018; 362 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k3790 (Published 13 September 2018) Cite this as: BMJ 2018;362:k3790Fetal growth influences cognitive function in later life
Data from a long running twin registry in Sweden finds that being born with a small head for gestational age or with a low birth weight are risk factors for cognitive decline in old age (PLoS Med doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002609).
Compared with infants with normal growth and head size, they had a twofold risk increase even after controlling for familial factors, socioeconomic status, and education. Within-pair analyses of identical twins showed that the link between birth characteristics and dementia couldn’t be explained by genetics or shared environmental influences such as prenatal family …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £173 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£38 / $45 / €42 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.