Women who were long babies at birth are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new study. Researchers found that more than 22,000 Norwegian women, who were 2cm longer than the average birth length (43cm to 50cm) had a 13 per cent higher risk of developing the disease, reports the Daily Mail.
The women had been observed for an average duration of 51 years. Scientists also found that risk of cancer was even higher for those women whose mothers were taller than average.
Perhaps this could be because length at birth indicates a high exposure to certain hormones in the womb, which may continue to influence the woman throughout life, possibly raising the risk of breast cancer. The study was published in the European Journal of Epidemiology.
