Patterns of growth . . . and other stories
BMJ 2020; 370 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2642 (Published 09 July 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m2642
Growth in early life
Associations between growth during fetal life and infancy and subsequent health in adult life have led to the idea that critical periods exist during very early development that are especially important in determining later risk of cardiometabolic disease. A secondary analysis of data from a breastfeeding intervention trial in Belarus challenges this concept (Am J Epidemiol doi:10.1093/aje/kwz234). It found that as far as five metabolic biomarkers were concerned (fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, β cell function, and adiponectin, all measured at the age of 11), patterns of growth during childhood were more influential than earlier growth.
Timing of the menopause
On the subject of early life, a Norwegian study suggests that events before birth influence the timing of the menopause. Among 150 000 women taking part in a breast screening …
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