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Babies
who were heavier at birth may have a tendency to develop rheumatoid
arthritis later in life, according to a study in the May 17th
issue of the British Medical Journal.
Researchers
in Sweden identified 77 patients with rheumatoid arthritis
and compared them to 308 healthy participants.
Using
birth records, they collected information such as birth weight,
mother's age, length of hospital stay after delivery, start
of breast feeding during the hospital stay and father's occupation.
The researchers
found that high birth weight of 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) or
more was positively associated with rheumatoid arthritis,
but low birth weight was not.
Source:
Arthritis Week
of May 18, 2003
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