{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,9]],"date-time":"2025-12-09T11:39:29Z","timestamp":1765280369456,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,15]],"date-time":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1678838400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of the Environment, Japan"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Later-borns tend to be shorter than first-borns in childhood and adulthood. However, large-scale prospective studies examining growth during infancy according to birth order are limited. We aimed to investigate the relationship between birth order and growth during the first 4 years of life in a Japanese prospective birth cohort study. A total of 26,249 full-term singleton births were targeted. General linear and multivariable logistic regression models were performed and adjusted for birth weight, parents\u2019 heights, maternal age at delivery, gestational weight gain, maternal smoking and alcohol drinking status during pregnancy, household income, breastfeeding status, and Study Areas. The multivariate adjusted mean length Z-scores in \u201cfirst-borns having no sibling\u201d, \u201cfirst-borns having siblings\u201d, \u201csecond-borns\u201d, and \u201cthird-borns or more\u201d were \u22120.026, \u22120.013, 0.136, and 0.120 at birth and \u22120.324, \u22120.330, \u22120.466, and \u22120.569 at 10 months, respectively. Results similar to those at 10 months were observed at 1.5, 3, and 4 years. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of short stature at 4 years in \u201cfirst-borns having siblings\u201d, \u201csecond-borns\u201d, and \u201cthird-borns or more\u201d were 1.08 (0.84\u20131.39), 1.36 (1.13\u20131.62), and 1.50 (1.20\u20131.88), respectively, versus \u201cfirst-borns having no sibling\u201d. Birth order was significantly associated with postnatal growth and may be a factor predisposing to short stature in early childhood.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children10030557","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,16]],"date-time":"2023-03-16T03:14:35Z","timestamp":1678936475000},"page":"557","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Relationship between Birth Order and Postnatal Growth until 4 Years of Age: The Japan Environment and Children\u2019s Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Aya","family":"Yoshida","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1580-9748","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kayo","family":"Kaneko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3939-2972","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kohei","family":"Aoyama","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Naoya","family":"Yamaguchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Atsushi","family":"Suzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2527-3964","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sayaka","family":"Kato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3342-1058","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Takeshi","family":"Ebara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Ergonomics, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu 8078555, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2265-377X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mayumi","family":"Sugiura-Ogasawara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0670-8790","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michihiro","family":"Kamijima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6911-3351","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shinji","family":"Saitoh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4670001, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"name":"the Japan Environment and Children\u2019s Study Group","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1127\/anthranz\/2018\/0838","article-title":"The secular trend and network effects on height of male Japanese students from 1955 to 2015","volume":"74","author":"Bents","year":"2018","journal-title":"Anthr. Anz."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1014","DOI":"10.1136\/jech-2017-209266","article-title":"Ecological analysis of secular trends in low birth weight births and adult height in Japan","volume":"71","author":"Morisaki","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Epidemiol. Community Health"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1097\/00004703-199402000-00001","article-title":"Academic achievement and psychological adjustment in short children. The national cooperative growth study","volume":"15","author":"Stabler","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"701","DOI":"10.1515\/JPEM.2001.14.6.701","article-title":"Short normal stature and psychosocial disadvantage: A critical review of the evidence","volume":"14","author":"Voss","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Pediatr. Endocrinol. Metab."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1927","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dyv074","article-title":"Adult height, coronary heart disease and stroke: A multi-locus Mendelian randomization meta-analysis","volume":"45","author":"Dale","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration (2012). Adult height and the risk of cause-specific death and vascular morbidity in 1 million people: Individual participant meta-analysis. Int. J. Epidemiol., 41, 1419\u20131433.","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dys086"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1069","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.aje.a009584","article-title":"Adult height, stroke, and coronary heart disease","volume":"148","author":"Wannamethee","year":"1998","journal-title":"Am. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1111\/ppe.12351","article-title":"Association of shorter height with increased risk of ischaemic placental disease","volume":"31","author":"Ogawa","year":"2017","journal-title":"Paediatr. Perinat. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2542","DOI":"10.3945\/jn.115.216374","article-title":"Short maternal stature increases risk of small-for-gestational-age and preterm births in low- and middle-income countries: Individual participant data meta-analysis and population attributable fraction","volume":"145","author":"Kozuki","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"721","DOI":"10.1016\/S1701-2163(16)35337-3","article-title":"Maternal Height and the Risk of Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses","volume":"34","author":"Han","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Can."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e23153","DOI":"10.1002\/ajhb.23153","article-title":"Is there a female disadvantage in child undernutrition in South India?: Exploring gender differences in height in infancy, childhood, and adolescence in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana","volume":"31","author":"Krishna","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am. J. Hum. Biol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2600","DOI":"10.1257\/aer.20151282","article-title":"Why are Indian children so short? The role of birth order and son preference","volume":"107","author":"Jayachandran","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1651-2227.1998.tb01431.x","article-title":"Risk factors for impaired length growth in early life viewed in terms of the infancy-childhood-puberty (ICP) growth model","volume":"87","author":"Liu","year":"1998","journal-title":"Acta Paediatr."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1651-2227.1989.tb11238.x","article-title":"The infancy-childhood-puberty model of growth: Clinical aspects","volume":"356","author":"Tse","year":"1989","journal-title":"Acta Paediatr. Scand"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1651-2227.1989.tb11237.x","article-title":"On the construction of the infancy-childhood-puberty growth standard","volume":"356","author":"Karlberg","year":"1989","journal-title":"Acta Paediatr. Scand"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2017834118","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2017834118","article-title":"Effects of short birth spacing on birth-order differences in child stunting: Evidence from India","volume":"118","author":"Dhingra","year":"2021","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1111\/cen.12156","article-title":"Birth order progressively affects childhood height","volume":"79","author":"Savage","year":"2013","journal-title":"Clin. Endocrinol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1080\/1081602X.2016.1230510","article-title":"Can resource dilution explain differences in height by birth order and family size? A study of 389,287 male recruits in twentieth-century Netherlands","volume":"22","author":"Stradford","year":"2017","journal-title":"Hist. Fam."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1136\/jech-2012-202296","article-title":"The association between height and birth order: Evidence from 652,518 Swedish men","volume":"67","author":"Silventoinen","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Epidemiol. Community Health"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"733","DOI":"10.1353\/hub.2007.0012","article-title":"Income, birth order, siblings, and anthropometry","volume":"78","author":"Ghosh","year":"2006","journal-title":"Hum. Biol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1028","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwr232","article-title":"Associations of birth order with early growth and adolescent height, body composition, and blood pressure: Prospective birth cohort from Brazil","volume":"174","author":"Wells","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"863","DOI":"10.1203\/00006450-200212000-00009","article-title":"Size at birth and early childhood growth in relation to maternal smoking, parity and infant breast-feeding: Longitudinal birth cohort study and analysis","volume":"52","author":"Ong","year":"2002","journal-title":"Pediatr. Res."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"662","DOI":"10.3109\/03014460.2011.598189","article-title":"A chart to predict adult height from a child\u2019s current height","volume":"38","author":"Cole","year":"2011","journal-title":"Ann. Hum. Biol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1408","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dyn116","article-title":"Sibling configuration and childhood growth in contemporary British families","volume":"37","author":"Lawson","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kawamoto, T., Nitta, H., Murata, K., Toda, E., Tsukamoto, N., Hasegawa, M., Yamagata, Z., Kayama, F., Kishi, R., and Ohya, Y. (2014). Rationale and study design of the Japan environment and children\u2019s study (JECS). BMC Public Health, 14.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-14-25"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.2188\/jea.JE20170018","article-title":"Baseline profile of participants in the Japan Environment and Children\u2019s Study (JECS)","volume":"28","author":"Michikawa","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1375\/twin.4.5.337","article-title":"Intra-uterine and genetic influences on the relationship between size at birth and height in later life: Analysis in twins","volume":"4","author":"Ijzerman","year":"2001","journal-title":"Twin Res."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2016-310469","article-title":"Adult height of preterm infants: A longitudinal cohort study","volume":"102","author":"Ferguson","year":"2017","journal-title":"Arch. Dis. Child."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1297\/cpe.25.71","article-title":"Growth standard charts for Japanese children with mean and standard deviation (SD) values based on the year 2000 national survey","volume":"25","author":"Isojima","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin. Pediatr. Endocrinol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"702","DOI":"10.1111\/ped.12331","article-title":"New Japanese neonatal anthropometric charts for gestational age at birth","volume":"56","author":"Itabashi","year":"2014","journal-title":"Pediatr. Int."},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"Yokoyama, T. (2022, May 26). Manual for Evaluation of Infant and Child Physical Development (In Japanese). 2012, Japan. Available online: https:\/\/www.niph.go.jp\/soshiki\/07shougai\/hatsuiku\/index.files\/katsuyou_2021_3R.pdf."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1186\/s12199-018-0733-0","article-title":"Questionnaire results on exposure characteristics of pregnant women participating in the Japan Environment and Children Study (JECS)","volume":"23","author":"Nakayama","year":"2018","journal-title":"Environ. Health Prev. Med."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Savage, T., Derraik, J.G., Miles, H.L., Mouat, F., Hofman, P.L., and Cutfield, W.S. (2013). Increasing maternal age is associated with taller stature and reduced abdominal fat in their children. PLoS ONE, 8.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0058869"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"563","DOI":"10.1203\/00006450-199810000-00016","article-title":"Target height as predicted by parental heights in a population-based study","volume":"44","author":"Luo","year":"1998","journal-title":"Pediatr. Res."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20865","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-99869-7","article-title":"The associations between maternal BMI and gestational weight gain and health outcomes in offspring at age 1 and 7 years","volume":"11","author":"Chiavaroli","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"959","DOI":"10.2147\/CLEP.S327766","article-title":"Maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring head growth in comparison to height and weight growth UP to 6 years of age: A longitudinal study","volume":"13","author":"Karvonen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"323","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2015.02.035","article-title":"Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy and offspring trajectories of height and weight: A prospective cohort study","volume":"153","author":"Kearney","year":"2015","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Van Rossem, R., and Pannecoucke, I. (2019). Poverty and a child\u2019s height development during early childhood: A double disadvantage? A study of the 2006\u20132009 birth cohorts in Flanders. PLoS ONE, 14.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0209170"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1089\/bfm.2018.0187","article-title":"Duration of breastfeeding and early growth: A systematic review of current evidence","volume":"14","author":"Zalewski","year":"2019","journal-title":"Breastfeed. Med."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kwok, M.K., Leung, G.M., and Schooling, C.M. (2016). Associations of birth order with early adolescent growth, pubertal onset, blood pressure and size: Evidence from Hong Kong\u2019s \u201cchildren of 1997\u201d birth cohort. PLoS ONE, 11.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0153787"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1297\/cpe.2021-0041","article-title":"Preschool-children\u2019s height, trend, and causes: Japanese national surveys 1990\u20132010","volume":"31","author":"Morisaki","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clin. Pediatr. Endocrinol."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.11604\/pamj.2016.24.257.9889","article-title":"Relationship between maternal pelvis height and other anthropometric measurements in a multisite cohort of Ugandan mothers","volume":"24","author":"Munabi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pan Afr. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1016\/j.placenta.2021.10.011","article-title":"Placental weight centiles adjusted for age, parity and fetal sex","volume":"117","author":"Flatley","year":"2022","journal-title":"Placenta"},{"key":"ref_44","first-page":"2428","article-title":"Placental morphometry determines the birth weight","volume":"7","author":"Balihallimath","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Clin. Diagn. Res."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1965","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dez149","article-title":"Reproduction, DNA methylation and biological age","volume":"34","author":"Kresovich","year":"2019","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1968","DOI":"10.1093\/hmg\/ddab161","article-title":"Genetic and in utero environmental contributions to DNA methylation variation in placenta","volume":"30","author":"Chatterjee","year":"2021","journal-title":"Hum. Mol. Genet."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2153","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2005-2778","article-title":"Early development of adiposity and insulin resistance after catch-up weight gain in small-for-gestational-age children","volume":"91","author":"Ibanez","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"R1934","DOI":"10.1152\/ajpregu.00802.2006","article-title":"Effects of maternal parity and late gestational nutrition on mRNA abundance for growth factors in the liver of postnatal sheep","volume":"292","author":"Hyatt","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"244","DOI":"10.1080\/01443615.2021.1904230","article-title":"The effect of short interpregnancy interval on birthweight and other pregnancy outcomes in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria","volume":"42","author":"Nnaji","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Obstet. Gynaecol."}],"container-title":["Children"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9067\/10\/3\/557\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:56:05Z","timestamp":1760122565000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9067\/10\/3\/557"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,15]]},"references-count":49,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3]]}},"alternative-id":["children10030557"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/children10030557","relation":{},"ISSN":["2227-9067"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2227-9067"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,15]]}}}