First Child of Parents more Likely to have Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Being the first child of parents increases the risk of having diabetes and high blood pressure, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand found birth order of a child having an important role in determining whether he/she is at a higher risk of diabetes and metabolic disorders.

To analyze the link, researchers included 85 healthy children, aged between 4 and 11. Of the total participants, 35 were the first child of their parents. Researchers measured and recorded fasting lipid of the participants. Apart from that, height, weight, body structure and hormonal profile of the children were also taken into consideration.

The investigators found children who were first-born experiencing problems in maintaining healthy sugar and blood pressure levels. The first-born children showed reduced insulin sensitivity (21 percent) and a high blood pressure (4 mmHg increase) compared to children who had elder siblings.

"Although birth order alone is not a predictor of metabolic or cardiovascular disease, being the first-born child in a family can contribute to a person's overall risk," Wayne Cutfield, of the University of Auckland, said.

However, the first-born children had an advantage over their younger siblings - in body structure. They were found to be taller and slimmer than the young children of their parents.

Physical changes of the mother during her first pregnancy lead to an increase in the nutrient flow to the babies that come after the first one, the authors, while explaining the occurrence, said.

"Our results indicate first-born children have these risk factors, but more research is needed to determine how that translates into adult cases of diabetes, hypertension and other conditions," Cutfield said.

Findings of the study are scheduled to be published in the March 2013 issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).