Skip to main content
. 2021 Apr 5;175(7):1–10. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.0131

Table 2. Associations Between Gestational Age at Birth and Risk of Heart Failure, Sweden, 1973 Through 2015.

Characteristica Cases Rateb Hazard ratio (95% CI) Unadjusted risk difference (95% CI)d Weighted %
Unadjusted Adjustedc P value AFee PAFf
Attained ages 0-43 y
Preterm 460 11.5 2.85 (2.58 to 3.15) 2.69 (2.43 to 2.97) <.001 7.4 (6.3 to 8.5) 64.5 10.4
Extremely preterm 45 56.0 13.96 (10.39 to 18.75) 12.83 (9.55 to 17.25) <.001 51.9 (35.6 to 68.3) 92.7 1.7
Moderately preterm 125 15.8 3.93 (3.28 to 4.70) 3.65 (3.04 to 4.37) <.001 11.7 (8.9 to 14.5) 74.2 3.7
Late preterm 290 9.2 2.30 (2.03 to 2.59) 2.18 (1.93 to 2.46) <.001 5.2 (4.1 to 6.2) 55.9 6.0
Early term 829 5.8 1.45 (1.34 to 1.57) 1.40 (1.29 to 1.51) <.001 1.7 (1.3 to 2.1) 29.2 7.5
Full term 2395 4.1 1 [Reference] 1 [Reference] NA 0 [Reference] NA NA
Postterm 375 4.8 1.10 (0.99 to 1.23) 1.13 (1.02 to 1.26) .03 0.7 (0.2 to 1.2) 14.9 2.0
Per additional week (trend) NA NA 0.86 (0.85 to 0.87) 0.87 (0.86 to 0.88) <.001 NA NA NA
Attained ages <1 y
Preterm 233 119.6 4.69 (4.04 to 5.43) 4.49 (3.86 to 5.22) <.001 94.1 (78.7 to 109.6) 78.7 19.4
Extremely preterm 31 601.6 22.91 (15.99 to 32.83) 21.03 (14.64 to 30.20) <.001 576.2 (364.4 to 787.9) 95.8 4.0
Moderately preterm 65 164.1 6.42 (4.98 to 8.27) 6.08 (4.70 to 7.86) <.001 138.7 (98.7 to 178.6) 84.5 7.1
Late preterm 137 91.3 3.58 (2.98 to 4.30) 3.47 (2.88 to 4.17) <.001 65.8 (50.4 to 81.2) 72.1 11.6
Early term 334 46.8 1.84 (1.61 to 2.09) 1.76 (1.54 to 2.00) <.001 21.3 (16.0 to 26.7) 45.6 14.5
Full term 713 25.4 1 [Reference] 1 [Reference] NA 0 [Reference] NA NA
Postterm 91 27.2 1.07 (0.86 to 1.33) 1.11 (0.89 to 1.38) .35 1.7 (−4.2 to 7.6) 6.3 0.7
Per additional week (trend) NA NA 0.81 (0.80 to 0.82) 0.82 (0.80 to 0.83) <.001 NA NA NA
Attained ages 1-17 y
Preterm 99 3.9 3.41 (2.74 to 4.25) 3.42 (2.75 to 4.27) <.001 2.8 (2.0 to 3.5) 70.7 13.5
Extremely preterm 8 14.2 12.09 (6.00 to 24.33) 12.81 (6.35 to 25.83) <.001 13.1 (3.2 to 22.9) 92.0 1.7
Moderately preterm 26 5.1 4.48 (3.01 to 6.66) 4.59 (3.08 to 6.84) <.001 4.0 (2.0 to 6.0) 77.7 4.5
Late preterm 65 3.3 2.88 (2.22 to 3.74) 2.88 (2.21 to 3.74) <.001 2.2 (1.3 to 3.0) 65.3 8.7
Early term 171 1.8 1.61 (1.35 to 1.93) 1.60 (1.34 to 1.91) <.001 0.7 (0.4 to 1.0) 38.2 11.0
Full term 421 1.1 1 [Reference] 1 [Reference] NA 0 [Reference] NA NA
Postterm 46 1.0 0.88 (0.65 to 1.20) 0.87 (0.64 to 1.18) .36 −0.1 (−0.5 to 0.2) 12.5g 1.4h
Per additional week (trend) NA NA 0.84 (0.81 to 0.86) 0.83 (0.81 to 0.86) <.001 NA NA NA
Attained ages 18-43 y
Preterm 128 10.0 1.56 (1.30 to 1.87) 1.42 (1.19 to 1.71) <.001 3.4 (1.6 to 5.2) 34.2 3.1
Extremely preterm 6 31.7 5.40 (2.42 to 12.05) 4.72 (2.11 to 10.52) <.001 25.2 (−0.2 to 50.6) 79.3 0.4
Moderately preterm 34 13.8 2.16 (1.54 to 3.04) 1.93 (1.37 to 2.71) <.001 7.2 (2.6 to 11.8) 52.3 1.4
Late preterm 88 8.7 1.35 (1.09 to 1.67) 1.24 (1.00 to 1.54) .05 2.1 (0.2 to 3.9) 24.1 1.6
Early term 324 7.3 1.16 (1.02 to 1.31) 1.09 (0.97 to 1.24) .15 0.7 (−0.2 to 1.6) 9.6 2.0
Full term 1261 6.6 1 [Reference] 1 [Reference] NA 0 [Reference] NA NA
Postterm 238 8.2 1.15 (1.00 to 1.33) 1.19 (1.04 to 1.37) .01 1.6 (0.5 to 2.7) 19.9 3.2
Per additional week (trend) NA NA 0.95 (0.93 to 0.98) 0.97 (0.95 to 0.99) .01 NA NA NA

Abbreviations: AFe, attributable fraction in the exposed; NA, not applicable; PAF, population-attributable fraction.

a

Preterm birth was defined as any at a gestational age less than 37 weeks; extremely preterm, at 22 to 27 weeks’ gestational age; moderately preterm, at 28 to 33 weeks’ gestational age; late preterm, at 34 to 36 weeks’ gestational age; early term, at 37 to 38 weeks’ gestational age; full term, at 39 to 41 weeks’ gestational age; and postterm, at 42 weeks’ gestational age or more.

b

Incidence rate per 100 000 person-years.

c

Adjusted for child characteristics (birth year, sex, birth order, and family history of heart failure or ischemic heart disease) and maternal characteristics (age, education, birth country, body mass index, smoking, preeclampsia, other hypertensive disorders, and diabetes).

d

Incidence rate difference per 100 000 person-years.

e

Attributable fraction among the exposed.

f

Population-attributable fraction.

g

Prevented fraction among the exposed.

h

Population-prevented fraction.