London, Jan 19: The height of a male child may
hold the secret to his future violent behaviour. A research
has shown that short male babies run more than double the risk
of a violent suicide attempt as an adult.
The Swedish research tracked more than 320,000 men
born between 1973 and 1980.
Using national registers, they
were tracked from birth to the date of attempted suicide,
death, emigration, or the end of 1999, whichever came first.
the study, 'Foetal and childhood growth and the risk of
violent and non-violent suicide attempts: a cohort study of
318,953 men', is published in the journal of epidemiology and
community health.
It showed that short male children run more than
double the risk of a violent suicide attempt as an adult.
Catch up growth during childhood does not lessen the impact of
short stature at birth, the Sciencedaily online reported.
Short babies of less than 47 cm in length, were more
likely to attempt suicide as adults, no matter what height
they reached in adulthood, compared with normal length babies.
short stature in adulthood also boosted the risk.
Men who were normal length babies, but who were short in adult
life were 56% more likely than tall men to attempt to
take their own lives. The taller a man was, the less likely he
was to attempt suicide, the findings showed.
The authors suggest that the brain chemical serotonin
may be the key. It is crucial to brain development and low
levels are important in impulsivity, aggression, and suicidal
behaviour.
Serotonin levels may be affected by premature birth
and other factors restricting growth in the womb, they said.
Bureau Report
