SSRI/DuPRI Seminar Series ~ Big and Small, Early and Late: A Family-Based Study of the Health Effects of Preterm Births and Birthweight

ABSTRACT:The contribution of preterm birth and birthweight extremes to a child's health risks, ranging from infant mortality to later onset diseases in adulthood, has been examined extensively. The direct causal relationship between gestational age, birthweight, and later life health has been questioned because they may be measures of confounding factors that are related both to birth characteristics and to later life health. With a few exceptions, this large body of work does not consider the patterns of birthweight and preterm births within a family. Additionally, the subsequent parental health impacts of bearing low-birth weight or preterm children have not been examined as extensively. To further examine the hypotheses that prematurity and birthweight adversely affect children's and parent's risk of short- and long - term health outcomes and mortality, we adopt a family-based model where we (1) compare the health outcomes of siblings throughout the life course based on differences in their gestational age and birthweight and (2) examine how gestational age and birthweight of offspring alter mortality risks of the parents. In addition, we consider how a family pattern of longevity (as a measure of familial robustness) may modify the adverse later-life health effects of gestational age and birthweight among the offspring. Seminar #4380