Determinants of Early Neonatal Weight Loss in Historical Swiss Maternity Hospital Records.
- 1Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- 2Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
Abstract
Objective
Early neonatal weight loss is an aspect of neonatal adaptation influenced by maternal, nutritional, and perinatal factors. Determinants of early neonatal weight loss in historical populations remain poorly understood. This study investigated determinants of neonatal weight loss as an early postnatal adaptation phenotype using Swiss maternity hospital records from 1905 to 1924, including the influence of the First World War and the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic.Methods
Birth records from Lausanne Maternity Hospital (1905-1924) were analyzed. Maximum percentage neonatal weight loss was calculated during hospitalization, excluding implausible trajectories (> 20% loss) and weight gains. Associations with feeding type, historical exposures, and maternal health were assessed using multivariable linear and logistic regression for maximum and high (> 10%) weight loss, respectively. Stratified and sensitivity analyses assessed effect heterogeneity and model robustness.Results
The analytical sample included 11 739 singleton live births. Mean maximum observed neonatal weight loss was 6.7% (SD 3.5%), and 16.8% experienced high weight loss. Compared with artificial feeding, breastfeeding was associated with lower maximum weight loss (β = -1.07 percentage points, 95% CI -1.32 to -0.81) and lower odds of high weight loss (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.47-0.68). Mixed feeding was associated with greater weight loss and higher odds of high weight loss. Pandemic exposure was associated with slightly greater weight loss, whereas the association with First World War exposure was small and did not provide clear evidence of an independent association.Conclusion
Feeding mode was the strongest determinant of early neonatal weight loss. Breastfeeding was consistently associated with lower weight loss, while pandemic exposure and maternal influenza during pregnancy were associated with slightly higher weight loss. These findings suggest that neonatal weight loss may provide an early postnatal indicator of neonatal adaptation reflecting both immediate nutritional influences and broader prenatal conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{nagaroor2026determinants,
title = {{Determinants of Early Neonatal Weight Loss in Historical Swiss Maternity Hospital Records.}},
author = {Anton Nagaroor and Mathilde Le Vu and Katarina L Matthes and Kaspar Staub},
journal = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ajhb.70349},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902925},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Determinants of Early Neonatal Weight Loss in Historical Swiss Maternity Hospital Records.
AU - Anton Nagaroor
AU - Mathilde Le Vu
AU - Katarina L Matthes
AU - Kaspar Staub
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council
DO - 10.1002/ajhb.70349
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902925
AB - Objective Early neonatal weight loss is an aspect of neonatal adaptation influenced by maternal, nutritional, and perinatal factors. Determinants of early neonatal weight loss in historical populations remain poorly understood. This study investigated determinants of neonatal weight loss as an early postnatal adaptation phenotype using Swiss maternity hospital records from 1905 to 1924, including the influence of the First World War and the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic.Methods Birth records from Lausanne Maternity Hospital (1905-1924) were analyzed. Maximum percentage neonatal weight loss was calculated during hospitalization, excluding implausible trajectories (> 20% loss) and weight gains. Associations with feeding type, historical exposures, and maternal health were assessed using multivariable linear and logistic regression for maximum and high (> 10%) weight loss, respectively. Stratified and sensitivity analyses assessed effect heterogeneity and model robustness.Results The analytical sample included 11 739 singleton live births. Mean maximum observed neonatal weight loss was 6.7% (SD 3.5%), and 16.8% experienced high weight loss. Compared with artificial feeding, breastfeeding was associated with lower maximum weight loss (β = -1.07 percentage points, 95% CI -1.32 to -0.81) and lower odds of high weight loss (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.47-0.68). Mixed feeding was associated with greater weight loss and higher odds of high weight loss. Pandemic exposure was associated with slightly greater weight loss, whereas the association with First World War exposure was small and did not provide clear evidence of an independent association.Conclusion Feeding mode was the strongest determinant of early neonatal weight loss. Breastfeeding was consistently associated with lower weight loss, while pandemic exposure and maternal influenza during pregnancy were associated with slightly higher weight loss. These findings suggest that neonatal weight loss may provide an early postnatal indicator of neonatal adaptation reflecting both immediate nutritional influences and broader prenatal conditions.
SN - 1042-0533
SN - 1520-6300
ER -