EXETER, England, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- New genetics research suggests an individual's birth weight and chances for developing certain diseases later in life may be determined before birth.
The study, published in Nature, claims at least one-sixth of the variation in birth weights is linked to genetic differences.
The genomes of almost 154,000 people were analyzed using the UK Biobank cohort. Genetic profiles were matched to information on birth weight, allowing researchers to identify sixty regions of the genome influencing outcomes.
Researchers went so far as to conclude these predisposed factors are stronger influences for birth weight than environmental factors such as smoking during pregnancy or a mother's body mass index.
"This study has revealed how the small genetic differences between individuals can collectively have quite large effects on birth weight, and how those same genetic differences are often linked to poor health in later life," joint lead author Dr. Rachel Freathy said in a statement. "We now have a much more detailed view of the ways in which these genetic and environmental elements work together to influence early growth and later disease."
The study was conducted by 160 researchers from institutions including the universities of Exeter, Oxford, Cambridge and Queensland, Bristol, and the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam.
