First-Born Kids More Likely to Get Diabetes: Study

First-born children are at a higher risk of developing diabetes or high blood pressure, according to a latest study.

According to the study published in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, first-born kids have a great difficulty in absorbing sugar into their body, and also have a higher daytime blood pressure when compared to kids with older siblings.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Auckland's Liggins Institute in New Zealand, involved 85 healthy children who belonged to the age group of 4-11. Of these, 32 children were first-born. The study focused on children, as puberty and adult lifestyle affects the insulin sensitivity.

"Although birth order alone is not a predictor of metabolic or cardiovascular disease, being the first-born child in a family can contribute to a person's overall risk," Wayne Cutfield, MBChB, DCH, FRACP, of the University of Auckland said in a press statement.

Researchers noted the participant's weight, body composition, height, fasting lipid and hormonal profiles. They noticed that the first-borns had a 21 percent reduction in insulin sensitivity and a 4mmHg rise in blood pressure.

Apart from this finding, however, they noticed that the first-borns tended to be taller and thinner than their younger siblings. The researchers predict that difference in the siblings could be due to physical changes occurring in the mother's uterus during pregnancy. Due to the changes, the amount of nutrients reaching the fetus increases during subsequent pregnancies.

According to Cutfield, it is clear from the study that first-borns are at a higher risk of developing the above risk factors. But further studies are required in order to understand the mechanism behind how these get translated into adult cases of diabetes, hypertension and other conditions.