Do shorter women have shorter pregnancies?

A new study suggests a woman’s height can play a part in the baby’s arrival time.

A group of researchers from Finland, Denmark and Norway studied nearly 3500 mothers and their babies, and discovered that shorter women tended to have shorter pregnancies, smaller babies and an increased risk for preterm births.

However, short people need not fret just yet. The differences were small – every increase of one centimetres led to a difference of 0.4 gestational days.

“The relatively shorter you were, the relatively shorter your pregnancy was,” said study author Louis Muglia. “This was manifested in each of the three populations.

Experts believe the results, published today in journal PLOS Medicine, could offer some insight into why babies are born preterm. In Australia, around eight per cent of babies are born prematurely each year.

More: Parents throw epic birthday party for daughter with cancer

While there are a number of factors that can lead to a premature birth, including stress levels, environmental factors, or a mother’s weight and disease history, Muglia believes it could help doctors understand genetic factors that may come into play.

“Our study suggests it is the mum’s height itself that is helping determine the length of gestation,” he said. “It’s part of the equation.”

More: David Beckham hits back at parenting critics

The study was funded by the March of Dimes, a non-for-profit organisation focused on the health of mothers and babies.

According to president Jennifer L. Howse, “This new finding adds one small piece toward solving a much larger puzzle of preterm birth.”

Related:

Barber offering free haircuts to reading kids
Kerry Washington is not interested in her pre-baby body