Can a woman’s diet
during pregnancy affect the child’s risk of being obese? This has been a concern for many people now
days, especially those trying to start a family. Many researches have shown that a woman’s
diet during pregnancy definitely affects the child’s risk of becoming obese
later on in life. According to the
article in Medical News Today, a study was performed by the Southampton
University in UK to search the relation between maternal diet and the baby’s
obesity risk. They found something
called “epigenetic change alters the function of unborn baby’s DNA in response
to changes in the mother’s diet.” The
way these changes can actually be seen are through the epigenetic markers which
are found at the umbilical cord at birth.
According to this study, they mentioned that animals had already been
tested on before and it showed that the mother’s diet affected the offspring’s “body
composition.” The most interesting part
of this study was that that the researchers were able to predict the fatness
variation in over 300 children by the time they were at age 6 or 9. Mother’s nutrition
affects the child’s epigenetic and that leads to risks of childhood obesity.
Resources:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/222881.php
Resources:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/222881.php
After reading your blog, the fact that a mother should be careful of what she consumes is really important has been amplified. It is always been reiterated that smoking and drinking has a harmful effect on a fetus, and it can lead to birth defects. However not much thought is giving to an expecting mother’s diet. I know many people believe that such food like papaya is bad for an expecting mother. A pregnant woman’s diet needs to be controlled to make sure that she is getting all the important nutrients to make sure the fetus is growing at a normal pace, and that the fetus is getting all the necessary nutrients.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is known and much paid attention too that pregnant women should not smoke or drink, I think many overlook their diet and eating regimen. The epigenetic change that alters the function of the fetus's DNA due to the mother's diet is a real eye opener, and women should be more educated on this topic. Mothers should be mindful of their nutrition since it has been shown, fatness variation in children can be predicted by the time they are 6 years old.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Simar, I believe that women need to be educated on this topic with great detail. Women know that smoking and drinking are two bad things to continue when pregnant because it can cause great risk for the child; however, very few women would know about how their diet can cause an epigenetic change that can alter the function of their fetus's DNA. Mother's need to be very careful of what to eat and what not to eat because they are now not only caring for themselves, but also for their children.
ReplyDeleteWomen should consider seriously about what they eat when they are pregnant. Reading this post, the fact that an unborn baby’s health condition depends on their mothers’ diets will make me to take care of my future wife. I have seen a lot of women smoking during their pregnancy. They shall stop smoking if they do not want to face the tragedy after giving birth. Smoking is harmful for a person who is not even pregnant. Pregnant women shall be educated more about the relation between maternal diet and the baby’s obesity risk so that they will aware seriousness of the problem much more.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting topic to think about. Not only do we need think about obesity causing genes, but also environmental factors which effect the epigenetics of individuals. When we think about familial diseases we think about the environment that a child might be raised in or the genetics they received from their parents. But it is also important to consider the environment the parent is in affecting the child before it is born. I think with more information for expecting parents, they can help to give their children the best bet in combating obesity before they are ever born.
ReplyDelete