For the first time, researchers have linked early risk signals for heart health to a baby's poor growth in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, said evidence suggested heart health and future risks are determined well before adulthood, BBC News reported. the study tracked 2,000 babies in the Dutch city of Rotterdam from early pregnancy and on.

The researchers, from the Erasmus University Medical School, measured the baby's size at 10 to 13 weeks old, followed by tests for future cardiovascular risk factors at the age of six.

"Impaired first trimester fetal growth is associated with an adverse cardiovascular risk profile in school age children," read the study. "Early fetal life may be a critical period for cardiovascular health in later life."

Their findings encouraged the British Heart Foundation to recommend pregnant women to concern themselves with their baby's heart health as much as their own. The foundation's senior cardiac nurse, Amy Thompson, said early pregnancy is vital for a baby's overall health.

"If you are pregnant, or planning a family, you should be thinking about your baby's heart health as well as your own," she said. "If you smoke, speak to your GP or midwife about quitting, and keep a check on your blood pressure.

"Your midwife will also advise you on other ways you can make healthier choices during pregnancy."

The researchers acknowledged more studies will be necessary to better link early pregnancy to future heart health. According to their current findings, poor growth is also a contributing factor, as well as low weight early in pregnancy, increasing the risk of heart disease later in life.

"These results suggest that the first trimester of pregnancy may be a critical period for development of offspring cardiovascular risk factors in later life," study author Vincent Jaddoe told BBC News. "Therefore adverse maternal lifestyle habits influencing early fetal growth may have persistent consequences for their offspring, many decades later."