| Abstract
| - Associations between early life growth trajectories and a range of adult (aged ∼25 years) hemostatic factors were assessed in the Barry Caerphilly Growth study (N = 517) in South Wales, 1974-1999. Associations of birth weight, birth length, and weight and height velocities during three periods (“immediate”: 0-<5 months, “infant”: 5 months-<1 year 9 months, and “childhood”: 1 year 9 months-5 years) with adult levels of hemostatic factors were assessed. Birth weight was inversely associated with fibrinogen (β per 1-unit change in z score = −0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.15, −0.02). Immediate weight velocity was inversely associated with factor VII (β = −1.88, 95% CI: −3.84, 0.09), factor VIII (β = −2.58, 95% CI: −4.07, −0.45), and von Willebrand factor antigen (β = −4.07, 95% CI: −7.25, −0.89). Birth length was inversely associated with fibrinogen (β = −0.07, 95% CI: −0.14, −0.01). Evidence was weaker for an inverse association of immediate height velocity with factor VIII (β = −2.16, 95% CI: −4.62, 0.29) and von Willebrand factor antigen (β = −2.85, 95% CI: −6.52, 0.81). Childhood height velocity was positively associated with D-dimer (ratio of geometric means = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.23). Results support the view that the immediate postnatal period may be particularly important, possibly through impaired liver development and/or infection in early life, in determining cardiovascular disease risk.
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