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Mother's diet during pregnancy may impact child's future diabetes risk

Category: Diabetes

An unhealthy diet during pregnancy can increase the chances that a woman's child will receive a positive blood test for type 2 diabetes later in life, according to a new study from a team of British researchers.

The findings revealed that many individuals born to mothers who ate an unhealthy diet during pregnancy have genetic alterations that change the way their bodies store fat. Instead of sequestering excess calories in fat cells, these individuals send fat directly to the liver and muscle tissue. This is a significant risk factor for chronic diseases.

Results from the study may help doctors understand why some people end up developing type 2 diabetes, despite not having any traditional risk factors for the condition, like obesity or an unhealthy diet, the researchers said. Understanding an individual's risk of developing the condition could help doctors make more precise recommendations to their patients to help them avoid the metabolic disorder.

Furthermore, the results underscore the need for women to pay attention to what they eat if they are planning on having a baby. The choices they make during pregnancy could result in a lifetime of consequences for their child.