Open AccessPaternal influences on birthweight
Author(s) -
Wilcox Mark A.,
Newton Carol S.,
Johnson Ian R.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349509009936
Subject(s) - medicine , birth weight , obstetrics , regression analysis , demography , observational study , pediatrics , pregnancy , statistics , biology , genetics , mathematics , sociology
Objective . To assess the influence of paternal size on birthweight after suitable control for maternal and fetal factors. Design . Prospective observational study. Setting . Delivery state, City Hospital. Nottingham. Subjects . 571 husbands/partners of unselected women delivering August 1992 to February 1993. Main outcome methods . Individualised birthweight ratio and thereby an adjusted birthweight for a cypical mother. The results of a multiple regression analysis with the individualised birthweight ratio as the dependent variable. Results . When considered in isolation both paternal height and weight are significantly positively associated with crude and adjusted birthweight ( p< 0.01, analysis of variance). Due to correlations of paternal size with maternal size and smoking habit, only paternal height is significant in the multiple regression analysis ( p = 0.01). Conclusion . If the partner of an average woman is short (mean—2s.d.) then the baby will be 183 g lighter than if he is tall (mean+2s.d.). This effect of paternal height on birthweight must be genetic arid therefore should be taken into account when defining intra‐uterine growth retardation and macrosomia.