August 25th, 2009 
Adults who were born preterm with a very low birth weight have significantly lower bone mineral density than those who were born at full term, a Finnish study has found.
The researchers evaluated the skeletal health of 144 adults, aged 18 to 27, who were born preterm with very low birth weight.
Because they have much lower bone mineral density, these adults may be at increased risk for osteoporosis, said Dr. Petteri Hovi and colleagues at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki.
The study appears online Aug. 24 in the journal PLoS Medicine.
