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Is low birth weight a risk factor for the development of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes? A population‐based case–control study
Author(s) -
Eshoj O.,
Vaag A.,
BorchJohnsen K.,
FeldtRasmussen B.,
BeckNielsen H.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2002.01065.x
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetic nephropathy , population , birth weight , nephropathy , renal function , diabetes mellitus , risk factor , low birth weight , endocrinology , pregnancy , environmental health , biology , genetics
. Eshoj O, Vaag A, Borch‐Johnsen K, Feldt‐Rasmussen B, Beck‐Nielsen H (Odense University Hospital, Odense, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen, Steno Diabetes Centre, Gentofte, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark). Is low birth weight a risk factor for the development of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes? A population‐based case–control study. J Intern Med 2002; 252: 524–528. Objectives. To investigate if low birth weight as a consequence of intrauterine malnutrition is a risk factor for the later development of diabetic nephropathy. Design and subjects. In a case–control set‐up a group of type 1 diabetic subjects with diabetic nephropathy ( n = 51) and a matched control group with normal kidney function ( n = 51) were compared. Diabetic nephropathy and normal kidney function were defined as urinary albumin excretion rate above 200 μg min −1 and below 20 μg min −1 , respectively. The birth weights were all obtained from the midwives' original records. Setting. The patients were identified from a population‐based study of chronic diabetic complications in the Funen County, Denmark. Main outcomes. Birth weights according to the presence of diabetic nephropathy. Results. The median (10–90 percentile) birth weights were 3600 g (2960–4274) in the group with diabetic nephropathy and 3600 g (2880–4220) in the group without nephropathy, P = 0.52. In the lower quartile of birth weights the median (10–90 percentile) birth weights were 3000 g (2780–3200) in the group with nephropathy versus 2850 g (2250–3175) in the group without nephropathy, P = 0.07. In the upper quartile the median (10–90 percentile) birth weights were 4225 g (4000–4741) in the nephropathy group and 4000 g in the group without nephropathy, P = 0.13. We found no significant correlation between birth weights and log urinary albumin excretion rate ( r = 0.148, P = 0.14) and no difference in the number of patients with nephropathy in the lower versus upper quartiles of birth weights. Conclusion. We found no evidence of low birth weight as a risk factor for the development of diabetic nephropathy.