Season of birth predicts mortality in rural Gambia (original) (raw)

Nature volume 388, page 434 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

We present evidence that events in early life strongly influence the adult survival prospects of rural Africans. Our analysis of births and deaths in three Gambian villages dating back to 1949 shows that people born during the annual ‘hungry season’ are up to 10 times more likely to die prematurely in young adulthood. A permanent effect of malnutrition on the development of the immune system during fetal growth seems a likely explanation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Figure 1: Kaplan-Meier survival plots for rural Gambians divided by season of birth.

References

  1. Prentice, A. M., Whitehead, R. G., Roberts, S. B. & Paul, A. A. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 34,2790–2799(1981).
    Google Scholar
  2. Cole, T. J. in Seasonality and Human Ecology (eds Ulijaszek, S. J. & Strickland, S. S.) 89-106 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1993).
  3. Ceesay, S. M. et al. (in the press).
  4. Billewicz, W. Z. & McGregor, I. A. J. Biosoc. Sci. 13,219–240(1981).
    Google Scholar
  5. Barker, D. J. P. Mothers, Babies and Diseases in Later Life (BMJ Publishing Group, London, 1994).
  6. Aaby, P., Andersen, M. & Knudsen, K. Int. J. Epidemiol. 22,156–162(1993).
    Google Scholar
  7. Chandra, R. K. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 52,77–84(1993).
    Google Scholar
  8. Beisel, W. R. J. Nutr. 122,591–596(1992).
    Google Scholar
  9. Chandra, R. K. Lancet ii,1393-1394 (1974).
  10. Winnick, M. Pediatrics 47,969–978(1971).
    Google Scholar
  11. Beach, R. S., Gershwin, M. E. & Hurley, L. S. Science 218,469–471(1982).
    Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2DH, UK
    Sophie E. Moore, Timothy J. Cole, Elizabeth M. E. Poskitt, Bakary J. Sonko, Roger G. Whitehead, Ian A. McGregor & Andrew M. Prentice
  2. MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, PO Box 273, Fajara, Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa
    Sophie E. Moore, Timothy J. Cole, Elizabeth M. E. Poskitt, Bakary J. Sonko, Roger G. Whitehead, Ian A. McGregor & Andrew M. Prentice

Authors

  1. Sophie E. Moore
  2. Timothy J. Cole
  3. Elizabeth M. E. Poskitt
  4. Bakary J. Sonko
  5. Roger G. Whitehead
  6. Ian A. McGregor
  7. Andrew M. Prentice

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moore, S., Cole, T., Poskitt, E. et al. Season of birth predicts mortality in rural Gambia.Nature 388, 434 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/41245

Download citation

This article is cited by