Firstborn Children Have Greater Risk Of High Blood Pressure And Diabetes

Carl Lowe | Feb 13, 2013 | Comments 0

Being a firstborn child may have its privileges, but research in New Zealand shows it also can make you more prone to high blood pressure and diabetes.

Firstborn children have greater difficulty absorbing sugars into the body and have higher daytime blood pressure than children who have older siblings, according to a study conducted at the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute in New Zealand. The study was the first to document a 21 percent drop in insulin sensitivity among firstborn children.

“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,” says researcher Wayne Cutfield, of the University of Auckland.

With family size shrinking in many countries, a larger proportion of the population is made up of firstborn children who may develop type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke and hypertension. This study also has serious public health implications for nations like China, where the one-child policy has led to a greater segment of the population being composed of firstborn children.

The researchers believe that the metabolic differences in younger siblings may be linked to physical changes in the mother’s uterus during her first pregnancy. As a result of the changes, nutrient flow to the fetus tends to increase during subsequent pregnancies.