Gestational Age at Birth and Risk of Gastric Acid-Related Disorders in Young Adulthood

PurposePreterm birth is associated with gastric acid-related disorders in infancy, but no investigators have examined this association beyond early childhood. We used antisecretory medication data to explore whether preterm birth is associated with gastric acid-related disorders in young adulthood.MethodsWe conducted a national cohort study of 626,811 individuals born in Sweden in 1973 to 1979, followed up for antisecretory (proton pump inhibitor and H2-receptor antagonist) medication prescriptions from all outpatient and inpatient pharmacies nationwide from 2005 to 2009 (ages 25.5–37.0 years). We excluded individuals with congenital anomalies, and examined potential confounding by other comorbidities identified on the basis of oral anti-inflammatory or corticosteroid medication prescription.ResultsGestational age at birth was inversely associated with antisecretory medication prescription in young adulthood. Adjusted odds ratios for ≥1 antisecretory medication prescription/year were 3.38 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.73–6.62) for individuals born at 22–27 weeks, 1.38 (95% CI, 1.19–1.60) for those born at 28–34 weeks, and 1.19 (95% CI, 1.06–1.32) for those born at 35–36 weeks, relative to those born full-term (37–42 weeks). Exclusion of individuals who were prescribed oral anti-inflammatory or corticosteroid medications (≥1/year) had little effect on these results.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that low gestational age at birth may be independently associated with an increased risk of gastric acid-related disorders in young adulthood.