Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Br J Nutr. 2011 Nov;106(9):1398-407. doi: 10.1017/S0007114511001747. Epub 2011 Jun 1.
Ca status in the uterus during pregnancy has been suggested to affect fetal growth and size at birth. In Bangladesh, low Ca levels in pregnant women and low birth weight in infants are common. The present study explored the association between Ca levels in cord blood and newborn size at birth (birth weight and birth length) in Bangladesh. Samples and data included 223 women with live-born singleton deliveries in rural Bangladesh. Newborn weight and length were measured at birth. From cord blood obtained at delivery, Ca, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and intact parathyroid hormone levels were determined. An association between size at birth and Ca levels in cord blood was found (birth weight, P = 0.022; birth length, P = 0.001). Associations between Ca and newborn size were further analysed using multivariate regression analyses. After adjusting for several covariates of characteristics in mothers and newborns (gestational weeks at birth, sex of newborn, socio-economic status, maternal height, BMI, age and season at birth), birth length still exhibited a significant relationship with Ca levels in cord blood (birth length, P = 0.030). The present study indicates that Ca status in cord blood might be associated with the birth length of newborns. Ca levels during gestation may affect fetal growth.
孕期子宫内的钙状况被认为会影响胎儿的生长和出生时的体型。在孟加拉国，孕妇钙水平低和婴儿出生体重低很常见。本研究探讨了孟加拉国脐带血中的钙水平与新生儿出生时（出生体重和出生长度）体型之间的关系。样本和数据包括 223 名在孟加拉国农村分娩的单胎活产妇女。在分娩时测量新生儿的体重和长度。从分娩时获得的脐血中，测定钙、25-羟维生素 D、骨特异性碱性磷酸酶和完整甲状旁腺激素水平。发现出生时的体型与脐血中的钙水平之间存在关联（出生体重，P=0.022；出生长度，P=0.001）。使用多元回归分析进一步分析了钙与新生儿体型之间的关系。在校正了母亲和新生儿的几个特征的几个协变量（出生时的妊娠周数、新生儿的性别、社会经济地位、母亲的身高、BMI、年龄和出生季节）后，出生长度仍然与脐血中的钙水平呈显著相关（出生长度，P=0.030）。本研究表明，脐血中的钙状况可能与新生儿的出生长度有关。孕期钙水平可能会影响胎儿的生长。
