Background: The association between low birth-weight and coronary heart disease has been repeatedly shown. Only two previous studies have examined the effects of weight gain during infancy and later coronary heart disease.
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the association between infant growth and coronary heart disease in adult life.
Methods: 2345 men born at the Helsinki City Maternity Hospital during 1934-44 with information on birth size and growth during infancy and childhood were included in the study cohort.
Results: There was a 3-fold fall in hazard ratios for coronary heart disease between men who weighed < or = 8 kg at 1 year and those who weighed > 12 kg (P < 0.00001). The fall was steeper among men whose placental weight at birth was below average. Men born into families with low socio-economic status had lower weight gain during infancy and higher rates of coronary heart disease. The increased risk of coronary heart disease in men who grew slowly during infancy was greatest in those who had low placental weight at birth.
Conclusions: Poor infant growth and small body size at one year predict coronary heart disease more strongly than low birth-weight.