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Infant Growth and Hostility in Adult Life

Katri Rkkönen, PhD, Anu-Katriina Pesonen, PhD, Kati Heinonen, PhD, Jari Lahti, MA, Eero Kajantie, MD, PhD, Tom Forsén, MD, PhD, Clive Osmond, PhD, David J.P. Barker, FRS and Johan G. Eriksson, MD, PhD

From the Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland (K.R., A.-K.P., K.H., J.L.); National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland (E.K., T.F., J.G.E.); MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK (C.O.); DoHaD Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK (D.J.P.B.); and Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland (J.G.E.).

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Katri Räikkönen, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 20 D), 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: katri.raikkonen{at}helsinki.fi

Objective: Hostility may confer a risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, but why is uncertain. A common origin in suboptimal fetal and early postnatal life may lie beneath. This study tested whether prenatal and postnatal growth predicts hostility in adult life.

Methods: Women (n = 939) and men (n = 740) born in Helsinki, Finland, from 1934 through 1944 filled out the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale at an average age of 63.4 years. Growth was estimated from birth, child welfare clinic, and school records. Adult body size was measured in a clinic.

Results: Men and women who had higher levels of hostility in adulthood were born lighter and thinner, showed slower weight gain from birth to 6 months of age, were lighter throughout childhood (standardized regression coefficients (β) <–0.05; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), –0.14 to –0.00; p values <.05), but were heavier in adulthood (β values > 0.06; 95% CIs, 0.02–0.14; p values <.01). They were also shorter from 6 months until the age of 1 year (β values <–0.09; 95% CIs, –0.14 to –0.03; p values <.003), and tended to be shorter in adulthood (β = –0.05; 95% CI, –0.09 to 0.00; p = .06). The latter effects were largely attributable to slower growth in stature from birth to 6 months (β = –0.08; 95% CI, –0.14 to –0.02; p = .005). The associations were not explained by major confounders.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that slow prenatal and infant growth is linked with hostility in adult life.

Key Words: cardiovascular • growth • hostility • infancy • prenatal • programming

Abbreviations: β = standardized regression coefficient; 95% CI = 95 percent confidence interval.