Recent studies have discovered a possible connection between birth weight and later life dementia risk.
Researchers suggest there may be an association between having a low birthweight and dementia later.
Diana C. Soria Contreras, a postdoctoral scholar at Harvard Medical School, noted that studies have indicated low birth weight could increase cardiovascular risks as well as blood pressure increases that might impair cognition in offspring.
In a research article published in Neurology, 15,323 women between 62 years of age were evaluated on their memory and thinking capabilities if they had given birth to low-weight infants.
Results indicated that those whose babies had low birth weight scored lower on memory and cognitive tests, suggesting an equivalent decline to what may happen with one to two years’ aging in mental abilities.
Study participants included age, smoking, high blood pressure and other medical conditions to understand how birth weight may impact cognitive function.
Low birthweight remains unknown when it comes to cognitive issues; however, previous research points towards possible influences like maternal stress, infections or diet having an impactful long-term result affecting fetal brain development – potentially increasing dementia risk and increasing dementia risk as time progresses.