Premature birth may increase risk for osteoporosis in adulthood

Compared with adults who were born at term with normal birth weight, adults born premature with very low birth weight or at term but small for gestational age were considerably shorter and had lower bone mineral content and bone mineral density, according to study results presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Munich.

“Few studies to date have addressed bone mass in adults who were born with low birth weight, and there are conflicting findings,” Chandima Balasuriya, MD, MBBS, a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and St. Olavs University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, said in a press release. “Our study shows that both those born prematurely with a very low birth weight and those who were born full term, but small for their gestational age, had lower bone mass than the control group, who were born full term with normal weights.”

Balasuriya and colleagues evaluated 186 adults (95 women) aged 26 to 28 years to determine the effects of gestational age and low birth weight on BMD and bone mineral content (BMC). Participants were divided into three groups: born premature and very low birth weight (< 1,500 g; n = 52), born at term but small for gestational age (< 10th percentile; n = 59) and controls born at term with normal birthweight (> 10th percentile; n = 75). Researchers recorded weight, height, previous fractures, smoking, physical activity, and calcium and vitamin D intake. DXA was used to measure BMD and BMC at the spine, femoral neck, hip and whole body, and spine trabecular bone score.

Compared with controls, the very low-birth-weight and small-for-gestational-age groups were significantly shorter. Compared with controls and the small-for-gestational-age group, the very low-birth-weight group was less physically active and reported greater calcium intake. The groups were similar for previous fractures, smoking and vitamin D.

The very low-birth-weight group had significantly lower BMC and BMD at most sites compared with the other two groups. Compared with controls and the small-for-gestational-age group, the very low-birth-weight group had 6.7% lower femoral neck BMD. Femoral neck z score increased by 0.037 units for each additional week of gestation, indicating that BMD was dependent on gestational age. Lower BMC at the spine and lower whole-body z score were apparent in the small-for-gestational-age group compared with the other two groups.

“Ensuring that children with low birth weights have a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D and protein, in combination with exercise that involves weight-bearing physical activities, may help reduce risk of bone fractures later in life,” Balasuriya said. – by Amber Cox

Reference:

Balasuriya C, et al. Abstract GP38. Presented at: European Congress of Endocrinology; May 28-31, 2016; Munich.

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