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| Mother's diet before conception 'can affect child's lifelong risk of disease' | Mother's diet before conception 'can affect child's lifelong risk of disease' |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Related: Gender equality: empowered women raise healthier children | |
| A mother’s diet before conception can affect her unborn child’s genetic make-up and immune system, according to new findings with profound implications for policy and development work. | A mother’s diet before conception can affect her unborn child’s genetic make-up and immune system, according to new findings with profound implications for policy and development work. |
| A report launched today by scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that a mother’s nutritional status at the time of conception can permanently change the function of a gene that influences her child’s immunity and cancer risks. | A report launched today by scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that a mother’s nutritional status at the time of conception can permanently change the function of a gene that influences her child’s immunity and cancer risks. |
| Leading researchers believe this could have a wider impact on the treatment of nutrition in global development. | Leading researchers believe this could have a wider impact on the treatment of nutrition in global development. |
| It is commonly known that a child’s genes are inherited directly from the mother and father. The way those genes are expressed is controlled through epigenetic modifications to the DNA, turning genes on and off and affecting how cells read genes. A study last year published in Nature Communications established that these can be influenced by an individual’s environment and nutritional intake, and affects the long-term health of offspring. | It is commonly known that a child’s genes are inherited directly from the mother and father. The way those genes are expressed is controlled through epigenetic modifications to the DNA, turning genes on and off and affecting how cells read genes. A study last year published in Nature Communications established that these can be influenced by an individual’s environment and nutritional intake, and affects the long-term health of offspring. |
| The new study has found a tumor suppressor gene called VTRNA20-1 that is particularly sensitive to changes to a mother’s diet within the first few days of conception - so can affect the disease risk of the developing baby. Study authors describe this as the “first concrete evidence” that a mother’s nutritional status before pregnancy is vitally important for the child’s health. | The new study has found a tumor suppressor gene called VTRNA20-1 that is particularly sensitive to changes to a mother’s diet within the first few days of conception - so can affect the disease risk of the developing baby. Study authors describe this as the “first concrete evidence” that a mother’s nutritional status before pregnancy is vitally important for the child’s health. |
| Professor Andrew Prentice, author of the study and director of the MRC International Nutrition Group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The potential implications are enormous. In this particular example, the gene involved is really crucial - it lies at the centre of the immune system so it affects our susceptibility to viral infection. At the very beginning of fetal growth, the way it is labelled is going to affect the baby’s health for the rest of its life. | Professor Andrew Prentice, author of the study and director of the MRC International Nutrition Group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The potential implications are enormous. In this particular example, the gene involved is really crucial - it lies at the centre of the immune system so it affects our susceptibility to viral infection. At the very beginning of fetal growth, the way it is labelled is going to affect the baby’s health for the rest of its life. |
| Related: Nine ways to tackle obesity and undernutrition | |
| “If a mother’s diet is poor then it causes a whole lot of damage to the genome which has a shotgun effect, so a baby might have possible adverse outcomes. This general phenomenon might explain preterm births, problems in pregnancy, brain defects, or why some babies are born too small.” | “If a mother’s diet is poor then it causes a whole lot of damage to the genome which has a shotgun effect, so a baby might have possible adverse outcomes. This general phenomenon might explain preterm births, problems in pregnancy, brain defects, or why some babies are born too small.” |
| He added: “We’ve moved the target of intervention to before pregnancy. Our work is showing the stable door has been closed by then, so we’ve got to get it right for conception. | He added: “We’ve moved the target of intervention to before pregnancy. Our work is showing the stable door has been closed by then, so we’ve got to get it right for conception. |
| “We could potentially clean up a lot of adverse pregnancy outcomes by getting the diet right.” | “We could potentially clean up a lot of adverse pregnancy outcomes by getting the diet right.” |
| Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and MRC are now trying to understand the best combination of nutrients to protect an unborn child from future health risks. | Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and MRC are now trying to understand the best combination of nutrients to protect an unborn child from future health risks. |
| They hope the findings will encourage greater focus on correcting the nutrition of women who are likely to conceive, for example, in areas where young wives are expected to have a child soon after marriage. | They hope the findings will encourage greater focus on correcting the nutrition of women who are likely to conceive, for example, in areas where young wives are expected to have a child soon after marriage. |
| The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the study, and believes it will reinforce the importance of nutrition for adolescent girls, who are particularly vulnerable to these complications. | The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the study, and believes it will reinforce the importance of nutrition for adolescent girls, who are particularly vulnerable to these complications. |
| Related: Evening seminar: Is the development sector failing women? | |
| Martin Bloem, the WFP’s senior nutrition advisor, said: “Before, everyone understood that nutrition could change the expression of genetics, but this study is the next step. It shows that adolescent girls’ nutritional status determines their future health. It is therefore critical that even in our humanitarian response, we focus on improving their nutrition to impact future generations, and it should be part of the 2015 goals.” | Martin Bloem, the WFP’s senior nutrition advisor, said: “Before, everyone understood that nutrition could change the expression of genetics, but this study is the next step. It shows that adolescent girls’ nutritional status determines their future health. It is therefore critical that even in our humanitarian response, we focus on improving their nutrition to impact future generations, and it should be part of the 2015 goals.” |
| Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow@GuardianGDP on Twitter. | Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow@GuardianGDP on Twitter. |
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