Diet tied to birth defects
Source: Agencies |
July 7, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A HIGH fat diet before and during pregnancy may put unborn babies at risk of birth defects, scientists said yesterday.
British researchers studying mice found that a pregnant mother's diet may interact with the genes her unborn baby inherits and influence the type or severity of birth defects such as congenital heart disease and cleft palate.
"These are very important findings as we have been able to show for the first time that gene-environment interactions can affect development of the embryo in the womb," said Jamie Bentham, who led the study and works for the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University.
"We know that poor diet and defective genes can both affect development, but here we have seen the two combine to cause a much greater risk of developing health problems and more severe problems ... It suggests that congenital heart defects may be preventable by measures such as altering maternal diet," he said.
Congenital heart disease is the most common form of birth defect, and previous studies have shown that children born to mothers who have diabetes or who are overweight have an increased risk of it.
The findings were published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.
British researchers studying mice found that a pregnant mother's diet may interact with the genes her unborn baby inherits and influence the type or severity of birth defects such as congenital heart disease and cleft palate.
"These are very important findings as we have been able to show for the first time that gene-environment interactions can affect development of the embryo in the womb," said Jamie Bentham, who led the study and works for the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University.
"We know that poor diet and defective genes can both affect development, but here we have seen the two combine to cause a much greater risk of developing health problems and more severe problems ... It suggests that congenital heart defects may be preventable by measures such as altering maternal diet," he said.
Congenital heart disease is the most common form of birth defect, and previous studies have shown that children born to mothers who have diabetes or who are overweight have an increased risk of it.
The findings were published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.
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