Can a baby predict the environment it will be born into?

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A mother's diet during pregnancy can alter the DNA of her child and increase the risk of obesity, according to researchers, the BBC reports.

The study, to be published in the journal Diabetes, showed that eating low levels of carbohydrates changed bits of a child's DNA. It then showed children with these changes were fatter.

It is thought that a developing baby tries to predict the environment it will be born into, taking cues from its mother and therefore adjusting its DNA.

Studies in animals have shown that changes in diet can alter the function of genes, which known as epigenetic change.

In these studies, the researchers took samples from the umbilical cord and looked for "epigenetic markers". They showed that mothers with early pregnancy diets low in carbohydrates, such as sugars and starch, gave birth to children with these markers. Researchers then proved a strong link between those same markers and childhood obesity in subjects aged six to nine. （点击英国广播公司网站查看原文）

孕期节食会改变胎儿基因

       据英国广播公司报道，研究人员称，母亲怀孕期间节食会改变孩子的DNA，增加孩子肥胖风险。

       这项即将发表在《糖尿病》杂志的研究显示，食用较少的碳水化合物会改变孩子的部分DNA。之后，基因发生此类改变的孩子会更胖。

       胎儿一直在娘胎里寻求线索，预测自己出生后的环境，然后通过改变DNA来调整适应。

       动物研究表明，改变饮食可以改变基因的功能——这就是所谓的“后生变化”。

       在这项研究中，研究者们从脐带中取样并寻找“后生变化标记物”，结果显示怀孕早期摄取较少的碳水化合物，如糖和淀粉，生出的孩子会有此类标记物，之后在6至9岁的肥胖儿童中也发现了此类标记物，从而证明了两者的密切联系。

(China.org.cn May 3, 2011)