Diet during pregnancy alters the baby's DNA

• April 19, 2024

The diet of a mother during pregnancy can alter the DNA of your child and increase the risk of childhood obesity , according to researchers.

A study, published in the specialized magazine Diabetes , suggests that a diet consisting of a large amount of carbohydrates can generate modifications in parts of the DNA . In addition, it shows how children with these changes tend to have a greater body weight .

The British Heart Foundation estimated that the results of the study show the need to control the nutrition and the lifestyle of women pregnant . It is believed that during fetal development, the future baby tries to predict the environment in which he will be born by taking the signals from the mother, with an adjustment in the DNA .

Studies in animals have shown that changes in diet can alter the function of genes , phenomenon known as change epigenetic , which is a field that tries to understand how the environment interacts with genes.

To do this, samples of the umbilical cord and they looked for the "epigenetic markers". According to experts, mothers with subsistence allowance rich in carbohydrates, such as sugars, had children with these "markers".

Likewise, a strong link was detected between the same markers and the childhood obesity between the ages of six and nine. Keith Godfrey , of the University of Southampton , in the United Kingdom, and who led the investigation, told the BBC : "What is surprising is that the study explains a quarter of the difference in obesity of children from six to nine years after birth. "

According to the report, the effect of the markers is "considerably greater" than that of weight at birth and is not dependent on weight of the mother. "The pregnant you can get advice on your diet ", however," not always (this advice) is among the priorities of health professionals, "said Godfrey.

The research suggests that women should follow professional advice, as their diet can have a long-term influence on the baby's health. In addition, "it reinforces the idea that women of reproductive age should have greater access to nutritional education and more support in maintaining an adequate lifestyle to improve the health of the next generation."

Hanson remarked that Nutritional education can be key to reducing the risk of diseases such as diabetes Y heart disease that are often a consequence of the obesity .

Video Medicine: 2nd Trimester Q&A with Belly to Baby (April 2024).