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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Moms to be may have more reason to stick to a healthy diet while they're pregnant. New research indicates a developing baby's health can be affected by the amount of fat consumed by his or her mother.
There has been a recent rise in the United States in the number of children classified as obese and diagnosed with obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Previous studies pointed to the weight of an obese child's mother during pregnancy.
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Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora recently found the offspring of both lean and obese primates chronically consuming a high-fat diet had an increased risk of developing NAFLD. If those same mothers who were fed a high-fat diet were reverted to a low-fat diet during a subsequent pregnancy, their second offspring exhibited fewer signs of NAFLD.
These findings lead study authors to suggest a developing fetus is highly susceptible to maternal consumption of excess fat, whether or not the mother is obese.
SOURCE: The Journal of Clinical Investigation, published online Jan. 19, 2009
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