(Best Syndication News) - Mothers who had given birth to small for gestational age infants, had almost twice as high chance of developing ischemic heart disease. This was according to a recent study published in the March 14, journal PLoS ONE.

Radek Bukowski led the research from the University of Texas Medical Branch. The study involved looking at 6,608 records of mothers in the US. Out of these, 399 had delivered small babies for the gestational age, and 453 mothers developed ischemic heart disease (IHD). The data suggested that the mothers with the smaller sized babies were at an almost twice as high risk for developing heart disease.

Other factors such as family medical history were taken into consideration, but the researchers found that the relationship between the small for age babies and the IHD cases remained.

Dr. Bukowski said that if more studies on this find the same conclusion, then doctors would have a new inexpensive way for detecting heart disease risk for women decades before onset occurs.

By: Marsha Quinn
Health Reporter

Citation: Bukowski R, Davis KE, Wilson PWF (2012) Delivery of a Small for Gestational Age Infant and Greater Maternal Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease. PLoS ONE 7(3): e33047. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033047