Diet in pregnancy can cause child to be obese in later life

Published on Monday 18 April 2011 18:30

SCIENTISTS have discovered for the first time that a mother's nutrition during pregnancy can alter her child's DNA and cause obesity in later life.

The international study, led by the University of Southampton and including teams from New Zealand and Singapore, found a mother's diet during pregnancy can alter DNA in a process called epigenetic change.

This can lead to her child tending to lay down more fat, the research claimed.

The study showed this effect acts independently of how fat or thin the mother is and of the child's weight at birth.

Keith Godfrey, professor of epidemiology and human development at Southampton, who led the study, said: "We have shown for the first time that susceptibility to obesity cannot simply be attributed to the combination of our genes and our lifestyle, but can be triggered by influences on a baby's development in the womb, including what the mother ate.

"A mother's nutrition while pregnant can cause important epigenetic changes that contribute to her offspring's risk of obesity during childhood."

Researchers measured epigenetic changes in nearly 300 children at birth and showed that these strongly predicted the degree of obesity at six or nine years of age.