Low birth weight is associated with elevated serum lipoprotein(a) in white and black American children ages 5-11 y.

Nutritional insults experienced by the mother have a life-long imprint on organ size and function of the fetus. Infant low birth weight (LBW) is one of the consequences of such maternal undernutrition. The physiological consequences of nutritional insults can lead to adverse metabolic consequences after birth, including hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. The objective of this study was to determine the association and contribution of LBW to serum concentration of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] in a representative sample of white and black American children aged 5-11 y. Data (n=666) from the Third US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used in this investigation. Racial/ethnic-specific trends in mean values of Lp(a) were compared across tertile distribution of birth weight. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to determine the association of birth weight with Lp(a), controlling for age, sex and sum of four skinfold thicknesses (SUM). A consistent trend of increasing values of Lp(a) with decreasing birth weight emerged for both white and black children (P<0.001). Black children presented with higher values of serum concentrations of Lp(a) at each level of birth weight distributions than white children (P<0.01). Black race/ethnicity was associated with approximately 0.4 mg/dl greater serum concentration of Lp(a) than white, adjusting for birth weight, age, sex and SUM (P<0.001). LBW sub-population in black children appeared to be relevant to elevated Lp(a) concentration, while a similar scenario did not appear in white children. Since interactions between in utero factors and risk exposures after birth are likely, definitive studies evaluating these interactions are warranted.