The first few weeks of a baby's life in the womb is very critical to its development and for future heart health, according to researchers. A study by the British Medical Journal concludes that the risk of heart problems is set in place long before a child reaches adulthood. This means that pregnant women should consider the health of their child's heart along with their own, says the British Heart Foundation.
To come to this conclusion, the British Heart Foundation studied 2,000 children born in the early pregnancy phase and onwards in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. The team at the Erasmus University Medical School examined the link between the size of a child after the first scan at 10 to 13 weeks, and markers of possible future cardiovascular health at six years old.
Nearly 1,200 children at the age of six years was assessed for cardiovascular risk factors, such as the distribution and the amount of body fat, cholesterol and insulin and blood pressure levels. When this finding is compared to children who were largest during the first trimester of pregnancy, it proves that children who were smaller had more fat around the abdomen, unhealthily cholesterol, and higher blood pressure.
Furthermore, being smaller also increased the risk of having a high number of these cardiovascular problems during childhood, according to the study. However, the study only uncovered the link between small size children during the first trimester and the potential heart problems. The study failed to prove a cause and effect connection, which leaves open a lot of questions. What this means is that further studies are needed to fully determine why smaller size children during the first trimester is prone to increased risk of heart problems compared to those who are larger.
"We need a deeper understanding of the strength, nature and mechanisms of the reported associations," the researchers said.
"If you are pregnant, or planning a family, you should be thinking about your baby's heart health as well as your own," said Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, to the BBC.
"If you smoke, speak to your GP or midwife about quitting, and keep a check on your blood pressure.
"Your midwife will also advise you on other ways you can make healthier choices during pregnancy," Thompson said.
