Pregnant mothers’ diets ‘can influence child’s obesity risk’

Dietary habits among pregnant women could be influencing their children's risk of being affected by obesity later in life.

This is the conclusion of an international study led by the University of Southampton, which revealed that expectant mothers' nutrition can alter the function of their offspring's DNA through a process called epigenetic change.

By eating more, mothers are conditioning their baby's body to be inclined to lay down more fat, a trend observed in analysis of almost 300 children.

Epigenetic changes among these subjects were shown to correlate to their degree of obesity at six or nine years of age, regardless of the parent or child's weight at birth.

These DNA alterations can also affect how a person responds to factors such as diet and exercise in future.

Keith Godfrey, professor of epidemiology and human development at the University of Southampton, said: "This study indicates that measures to prevent childhood obesity should be targeted on improving a mother's nutrition and her baby's development in the womb."

This comes after research from the US last month suggested that malnutrition among pregnant mothers can also impair their child's development in a way that promotes obesity.