The Edinburgh-based team has received funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Previous studies have suggested that those who were small at birth have a greater risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease as adults.

It is thought increased risk of cardiovascular diseases is largely pre-determined by impaired growth of the foetus caused by poor nutrition or exposure to other stressful factors.

The University of Edinburgh study will examine whether women who were small babies produce more stress hormones in adult life.

BHF Director for Scotland Iain Lowis said: "Cardio vascular disease remains the UK's number one killer, and hopefully this research will help us to find out why some adults are more susceptible to the disease than others, and allows a development of pre and post natal preventative treatments."

Dr Rebecca Reynolds, who is leading the university team, added: "Our preliminary research in a group of men in Hertfordshire has shown that this increased risk may be due to variations in stress hormone levels.

"We expect the results of this new study to help us to design experiments that will lead to a better understanding of how variations in stress hormones are predetermined in utero and that this possibly triggers a person's susceptibility to heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes in later life."