Association of size at birth with adolescent hormone levels, body size and age at menarche: relevance for breast cancer risk

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 99; no. 1; pp. 201 - 206
• Main Authors: Opdahl, S, Nilsen, T I L, Romundstad, P R, Vanky, E, Carlsen, S M, Vatten, L J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 08-07-2008; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adults; Age Factors; Androgens; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body Height; Body mass index; Body Size; Body Weight; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms - etiology; Cancer Research; Child development; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate - blood; Drug Resistance; Epidemiology; Female; Gestational age; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Hospitals; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Mammary gland diseases; Medical research; Medical sciences; Menarche; Menstruation; Molecular Medicine; Norway; Oncology; Prolactin - blood; Risk factors; Skin; Survival analysis; Testosterone; Tumors; Womens health; Norway; sex steroids; size at birth; age at menarche; breast cancer risk; anthropometry; Human; Birth height; Breast disease; Anthropometry; Menarche; Corporal biometry; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Mammary gland diseases; Cancerology; Body size; Adolescent; Risk factor; Sex steroid hormone; Age; Cancer
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604449

Birth size has been positively associated with age at menarche and height in adolescence and adulthood, but the relevant biological mechanisms remain unclear. Among 262 Norwegian term-born singleton girls, birth size measures (weight, length, ponderal index, head circumference and subscapular skin-fold thickness) were analysed in relation to adolescent hormone levels (oestradiol, prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, androstenedione and free testosterone index), age at menarche and adolescent (ages 12.7–15.5 years) and body size (height, weight, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio) using survival analysis and general linear modelling. The results were adjusted for gestational age at birth, age and menarcheal status at measurement in adolescence and maternal age at menarche. Birth weight, birth length and head circumference were positively associated with adolescent weight and height, and small birth size was associated with earlier age at menarche. Subscapular skin-fold thickness at birth was not associated with adolescent body size, but low fold-thickness was associated with earlier age at menarche. Measures of birth size were inversely related to circulating levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in adolescence, but there was no clear association with other hormones. These results suggest that physical and sexual development in puberty and adolescence is influenced by prenatal factors, and in combination, these factors may influence health and disease later in life.