According to a study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, a birthrate of over 4.54 kg or 10 pounds doubled the risk of developing rheumatic arthritis (RA) when they are adults compared with individuals with average birthweight.
The finding is based on a review of the data on 87,077 participants in the Nurses' Health Study. Although the mechanism for the association was not clear to the investigators, researchers said that foetal growth is influenced by nutrition and enviroment independent of genetics, if nutrition has an impact on rheumatoid arthritis, it is a potentially modifiable factor.
Source: "Is birthweight associated with risk of arthritis? Data from a large cohort study." Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 2008; Jul 1 [Epub ahead of print]"
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