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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Do parental heights influence pregnancy length?: a population-based prospective study, HUNT 2

Authors: Kirsti Myklestad, Lars Johan Vatten, Elisabeth Balstad Magnussen, Kjell Åsmund Salvesen, Pål Richard Romundstad

Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

The objective of this study was to examine the association of maternal and paternal height with pregnancy length, and with the risk of pre- and post-term birth. In addition we aimed to study whether cardiovascular risk factors could explain possible associations.

Methods

Parents who participated in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT 2; 1995–1997) were linked to offspring data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (1997–2005).
The main analyses included 3497 women who had delivered 5010 children, and 2005 men who had fathered 2798 pregnancies. All births took place after parental participation in HUNT 2. Linear regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted differences in pregnancy length according to parental heights. Logistic regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted associations of parental heights with the risk of pre- and post-term births.

Results

We found a gradual increase in pregnancy length by increasing maternal height, and the association was essentially unchanged after adjustment for maternal cardiovascular risk factors, parental age, offspring sex, parity, and socioeconomic measures. When estimated date of delivery was based on ultrasound, the difference between mothers in the lower height quintile (<163 cm cm) and mothers in the upper height quintile (≥ 173 cm) was 4.3 days, and when estimated date of delivery was based on last menstrual period (LMP), the difference was 2.8 days. Shorter women (< 163 cm) had lower risk of post-term births, and when estimated date of delivery was based on ultrasound they also had higher risk of pre-term births. Paternal height was not associated with pregnancy length, or with the risks of pre- and post-term births.

Conclusions

Women with shorter stature had shorter pregnancy length and lower risk of post-term births than taller women, and when EDD was based on ultrasound, they also had higher risk of preterm births. The effect of maternal height was generally stronger when pregnancy length was based on second trimester ultrasound compared to last menstrual period. The association of maternal height with pregnancy length could not be explained by cardiovascular risk factors. Paternal height was neither associated with pregnancy length nor with the risk of pre- and post-term birth.
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Metadata
Title
Do parental heights influence pregnancy length?: a population-based prospective study, HUNT 2
Authors
Kirsti Myklestad
Lars Johan Vatten
Elisabeth Balstad Magnussen
Kjell Åsmund Salvesen
Pål Richard Romundstad
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2393
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-33

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