Child's Birthweight Tied To Parents' Heart Risks

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study has found that the parents of children born at a lower weight may have an increased risk of dying from heart disease or stroke -- suggesting that common genetic factors may underlie both birthweight and cardiovascular disease. A number of studies have found evidence that people born at a low weight have a higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease as adults. One hypothesis is that factors that affect fetal development -- such as a mother's nutrition -- may help "program" future disease risk.