Association between placental weight and birthweight ratio and childhood lifestyle-related diseases

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18963
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58030:Hygiene and public health-related: excluding laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Mitsuda Naomi 高知大学, 医学部附属病院, 医員 (30611389)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 胎盤重量 / 小児生活習慣病 / DOHaD / エコチル調査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of study was to investigate whether placental weight/birth weight ratio (PW/BW ratio) are useful markers of the fetal prenatal environment and, consequently, that PW/BW ratio are also associated with childhood growth and development and risk of lifestyle-related diseases. During study period, we showed positive association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and PW/BW ratio, a U-shaped relationship between maternal hemoglobin concentration during pregnancy and PW/BW ratio, and positive association between maternal LDL cholesterol levels during pregnancy and PW/BW ratio.　Furthermore, higher PW/BW ratio was associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay at 3 years old.These results were published in papers and presented at conferences.

Free Research Field

小児科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

PW/BW比は国内で生まれたほぼ全ての子どもで算出可能なマーカーである。本研究により、PW/BW比が子どもの将来の発育や健康状態に影響するマーカーとなることが立証でき、それによりPW/BW比の重要性が社会的評価を獲得すれば、PW/BW比を子どもの生活習慣病予防への早期介入にも広く活用できる。