Brothers and reduction of the birth weight of later-born siblings

Henriette Svarre Nielsen; Laust Hvas Mortensen; Ulrikka Nygaard; Ole Schnor; Ole Bjarne Christiansen; Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen

doi:10.1093/aje/kwm330

Brothers and reduction of the birth weight of later-born siblings

Henriette Svarre Nielsen, Laust Hvas Mortensen, Ulrikka Nygaard, Ole Schnor, Ole Bjarne Christiansen, Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

42 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

Udgivelsesdato: 2008-Feb-15

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	American Journal of Epidemiology
Vol/bind	167
Udgave nummer	4
Sider (fra-til)	480-484
Antal sider	4
ISSN	0002-9262
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwm330
Status	Udgivet - 2007
Udgivet eksternt	Ja

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1093/aje/kwm330

Citationsformater

@article{76c6227ccebe4a7ca5bf672d52871da1,

title = "Brothers and reduction of the birth weight of later-born siblings",

abstract = "It has been speculated whether maternal immune responses against male-specific minor histocompatibility (H-Y) antigens affect pregnancies negatively. This study explores, on a population level, whether previous births of boys compared with girls are associated with a decrease in birth weight of later-born siblings. The population was identified in the Danish Birth Registry and consisted of all Danish women who gave birth to their first-born singleton from 1980 to 1998. The women were followed until 2004, and their subsequent births were recorded. A total of 545,839 second- to fourth-born children were identified. The authors used linear regression to analyze the association between sex of preceding children and birth weight of subsequent siblings. Brothers compared with sisters reduced the birth weight of later-born siblings. One or two brothers, respectively, reduced the mean birth weight of later-born boys by 29 g (p = 0.0001) and 38 g (p = 0.0001) and later-born girls by 17 g (p = 0.0001) and 21 g (p = 0.0001) compared with later-born siblings with no brothers. Part of this association was due to a shorter gestation among later-born siblings with brothers. An explanation for these results could be maternal immune reactions directed against the H-Y antigens initiated during pregnancies with boys. The findings might add to the understanding of both normal and pathologic pregnancies.",

author = "Nielsen, {Henriette Svarre} and Mortensen, {Laust Hvas} and Ulrikka Nygaard and Ole Schnor and Christiansen, {Ole Bjarne} and Andersen, {Anne-Marie Nybo}",

year = "2007",

doi = "10.1093/aje/kwm330",

language = "English",

volume = "167",

pages = "480--484",

journal = "American Journal of Epidemiology",

issn = "0002-9262",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Brothers and reduction of the birth weight of later-born siblings

AU - Nielsen, Henriette Svarre

AU - Mortensen, Laust Hvas

AU - Nygaard, Ulrikka

AU - Schnor, Ole

AU - Christiansen, Ole Bjarne

AU - Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - It has been speculated whether maternal immune responses against male-specific minor histocompatibility (H-Y) antigens affect pregnancies negatively. This study explores, on a population level, whether previous births of boys compared with girls are associated with a decrease in birth weight of later-born siblings. The population was identified in the Danish Birth Registry and consisted of all Danish women who gave birth to their first-born singleton from 1980 to 1998. The women were followed until 2004, and their subsequent births were recorded. A total of 545,839 second- to fourth-born children were identified. The authors used linear regression to analyze the association between sex of preceding children and birth weight of subsequent siblings. Brothers compared with sisters reduced the birth weight of later-born siblings. One or two brothers, respectively, reduced the mean birth weight of later-born boys by 29 g (p = 0.0001) and 38 g (p = 0.0001) and later-born girls by 17 g (p = 0.0001) and 21 g (p = 0.0001) compared with later-born siblings with no brothers. Part of this association was due to a shorter gestation among later-born siblings with brothers. An explanation for these results could be maternal immune reactions directed against the H-Y antigens initiated during pregnancies with boys. The findings might add to the understanding of both normal and pathologic pregnancies.

AB - It has been speculated whether maternal immune responses against male-specific minor histocompatibility (H-Y) antigens affect pregnancies negatively. This study explores, on a population level, whether previous births of boys compared with girls are associated with a decrease in birth weight of later-born siblings. The population was identified in the Danish Birth Registry and consisted of all Danish women who gave birth to their first-born singleton from 1980 to 1998. The women were followed until 2004, and their subsequent births were recorded. A total of 545,839 second- to fourth-born children were identified. The authors used linear regression to analyze the association between sex of preceding children and birth weight of subsequent siblings. Brothers compared with sisters reduced the birth weight of later-born siblings. One or two brothers, respectively, reduced the mean birth weight of later-born boys by 29 g (p = 0.0001) and 38 g (p = 0.0001) and later-born girls by 17 g (p = 0.0001) and 21 g (p = 0.0001) compared with later-born siblings with no brothers. Part of this association was due to a shorter gestation among later-born siblings with brothers. An explanation for these results could be maternal immune reactions directed against the H-Y antigens initiated during pregnancies with boys. The findings might add to the understanding of both normal and pathologic pregnancies.

U2 - 10.1093/aje/kwm330

DO - 10.1093/aje/kwm330

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18048378

VL - 167

SP - 480

EP - 484

JO - American Journal of Epidemiology

JF - American Journal of Epidemiology

SN - 0002-9262

IS - 4

ER -