Genes - the link between intrauterine growth and adult diseases

Scientists have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight. Growth-regulating genes begin to take effect at a very early stage.

The results of a major new international research project shed important light on the mechanisms that affect intrauterine growth. Eventually, these results may lead to a better understanding of how to manage growth problems during pregnancy.

One of the new genetic regions is associated with blood pressure in adulthood, and three of them are also linked to adult metabolism. This is the first time that evidence has been presented of a genetic link between birth weight and blood pressure measured in adulthood. Two of the gene regions are known to be associated with adult height. The genetic link to metabolism goes some way towards explaining why babies with lower birth weight have higher rates of chronic disease later in life.

Professor Terho Lehtimäki from the University of Tampere who participated in the research says that the identification of the new genetic regions sheds new light on intrauterine growth and on how slow intrauterine growth can be associated with health later on in adulthood.

“A significant finding was also that the discovered genes, taken together, have a similar impact on birth weight as regular maternal smoking in pregnancy. Smoking is known to lead to the lower birth weight of babies,” Lehtimäki says.

A major new international research project on genes

It has been known for some time that babies with lower weight are at a higher risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, but the reasons remain poorly understood. The project analysed almost 70,000 individuals of European descent in 43 different studies of pregnancy and birth. As well as identifying the four new genetic regions, the project team also confirmed three regions previously identified as influencing birth weight.

Professor Lehtimäki is the responsible leader of the genetic part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Cardiovascular diseases and their risks have been researched at the University of Tampere for more than thirty years.

The research was published in the online publication of the highly esteemed Nature Genetics and the Finnish part of the research has been funded by the Academy of Finland among others.

In addition to the Academy of Finland, the research in Finland has also been funded by Biocentrum Helsinki, the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the University of Oulu and Biocenter Oulu, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, the Turku University Foundation, the Wellcome Trust (UK), the Medical Research Council (UK), the European Union, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation and the University Hospitals of Kuopio, Oulu, Tampere and Turku.

Bibliographical information:
New loci associated with birth weight identify genetic links between intrauterine growth and adult height and metabolism. Nature Genetics (2012) doi:10.1038/ng.2477.

Full text online in Nature Genetics

For more information please contact:
Professor Terho Lehtimäki
Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study
University of Tampere
Tel. 03 3117 4066 or 050 4336 285
terho.lehtimaki@uta.fi

The Academy of Finland press release