Low birth weight: a possible risk factor also for liver disease in adult life?

Abstract

Birth weight is a popular topic, because it is precisely recorded, a major determinant of infant survival, associated with infant mortality, and health outcomes later in life. Low birth weight (LBW) is a predisposing factor for metabolic abnormalities such as atherosclerosis, renal disease, non-insulin diabetes mellitus, asthma, low IQ, hypertension, obesity, psychological distress. They have all been reported to be more common among those who were small at birth.