| Season of birth and subsequent body size: The potential role of prenatal vitamin D. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 21120885 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Objectives: The relationship between season of birth and various physical and psychological outcomes was reported in many studies, although the underlying mechanism still remains unrecognized. The aim of this study was to explore the season-of-birth effect on body size in the sample of 1,148 eight-year-old Polish urban children and propose the mechanism responsible for this effect. Methods: The children were examined three times at their birthdays and at two cross-sectional surveys. Effects of the season of birth were checked by fitting the cosine function to empirical values and by comparison between two groups born in different periods of the year. Results: Data gathered at three examinations led to the same results: season-of-birth effect occurred only in boys and only in those relatively shortly breastfed and/or descended from the families of low-socioeconomic status. Specifically, the individuals born in October-April were taller (by 2-3 cm), heavier (by 2-3 kg), and fatter than those born in May-September. Conclusions: The following explanatory mechanism has been formulated: insolation in Poland is minimal in November-February (winter period), and so ultraviolet absorption and vitamin D production is then the lowest. Vitamin D regulates embryo's cellular differentiation, and its deficiency triggers permanent developmental changes. Therefore, individuals conceived in autumn (i) are at the greatest risk of early vitamin D deficiency, (ii) are born in summer, and (iii) are relatively small in their further lives. The contribution of low-socioeconomic status, short breastfeeding, and being a male to the occurrence of the season-of-birth effect is also discussed. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
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Authors:
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Marta Krenz-Niedbała; Elżbieta A Puch; Krzysztof Kościński |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2010-11-30 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council Volume: - ISSN: 1520-6300 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2010 Nov |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-12-1 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8915029 Medline TA: Am J Hum Biol Country: - |
Other Details:
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Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Affiliation:
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Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland. |
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