No association between birth weight and Type 1 diabetes mellitus – a twin-control study

Authors: Kyvik K.O.; Bache I.; Green A.; Beck-Nielsen H.; Buschard K.

Source: Diabetic Medicine, Volume 17, Number 2, February 2000 , pp. 158-162(5)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

Aims To investigate, by means of a twin-control study, whether there is a relationship between birth weight and Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Methods In the youngest part (n = 20 888 pairs) of the Danish Twin Register, 95 twin pairs (26 monozygotic and 69 dizygotic) with Type 1 diabetes were identified. Information about birth weight and birth length, prematurity, maternal age and parity was obtained from midwives' records and from the Danish Medical Birth Registry and analysed using Student's two-sided t-test, Chi-square test and logistic regression.

Results Birth data were available for 83 diabetic and 51 healthy twin individuals, altogether 67 twin pairs (20 monozygotic and 47 dizygotic). Mean birth weight was 2537 g and 2565 g (NS) in monozygotic and dizygotic pairs and the corresponding length at birth 47.6 cm and 48.2 cm (NS). In pairs discordant for diabetes, the mean birth weight was 2538 g in twins with diabetes and 2549 g in twins without diabetes (NS). Logistic regression in discordant pairs showed no relationship between diabetes status and birth weight, birth length, birth order, sex or prematurity. Logistic regression in concordant vs. discordant pairs showed no effect of mean birth weight and birth length, maternal age, parity or weeks of prematurity.

Conclusions There is no association between Type 1 diabetes mellitus and birth weight in this study. Furthermore, variables related to birth weight and length cannot explain why some pairs are concordant while other remain discordant.

Keywords: birth length; birth weight; maternal age; parity; twin-control study; twins; Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2000-02-01

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• In this Subject: Internal Medicine
• By this author: Kyvik K.O. ;  Bache I. ;  Green A. ;  Beck-Nielsen H. ;  Buschard K.

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