Birth characteristics and age at menarche: Results from the dietary intervention study in children (DISC)

Objective: To examine whether birth weight, birth length, and gestational age are individually associated with age at menarche. Methods: Analyses were conducted using data from n = 278 female participants in the Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC). Age at menarche was prospectively collected as part of the original DISC investigation. DISC participants self-reported birth weight, birth length, and gestational age with assistance from their mothers and other records as part of the DISC06 Follow-up Study at ages 25-29. Linear regression was used to estimate the association of birth characteristics and age at menarche. Results: Birth weight was positively associated with age at menarche (p ≤ 0.01) in multiple regression analyses after controlling for BMI-for-age percentile, race and DISC treatment group. No statistically significant relationships were detected between either length or gestational age and age at menarche. Conclusions: Higher birth weight may be associated with a modest delay in age at menarche.