Association between the CDKAL1 gene and low birth weight: A meta-analysis

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk gene play a crucial role in determining birth weight. We aimed to test the association between cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 1-like 1 ( CDKAL1) gene and low birth weight (LBW). Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major databases up to September 20, 2024. Original articles evaluating the association between CDKAL1 gene and birthweight were included. Fixed-effect model was used to estimate the effect size of CDKAL1 gene to LBW. Sensitivity analysis was performed to check the consistency of the effect size. Publication bias was assessed using both Egger’s test and Begg’s funnel plot. Results: A total of 8 cohorts from 4 studies (n = 30,705) were included. Meta-analysis showed that each additional CDKAL1 gene risk allele reduced birth weight by 23.64 grams (95% CI: -31.76 to -15.52, P value < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of results. Conclusions: Our findings identify CDKAL1 gene as a potential genetic marker for predicting the risk of LBW.