A Poor Diet While Pregnant Can Increase Child's Diabetes Risk

Filed in archive Research on February 28, 2006

Apparently, it's never too early to join the fight against diabetes: a recent study shows that developments toward the disease can start as early as in the womb.

Although the studies have only used mice to test this theory, researchers are confident that the results are applicable to humans.

It's certainly something to think about: it's never too early for a healthy life.

The PakTribune reports:In diabetics, poor blood sugar control comes from deficiencies in insulin secretion by the pancreas, or through cellular resistance to the effects of insulin circulating throughout the body.

The Boston team examined the mice's pancreatic cells to determine which mechanism was at fault. They found that low birth weight mice born to mothers on poor diets had damaged cells in their pancreas that severely reduced the amount of insulin the mice could produce as they aged.

"One reason why people who have had a history of low birth weight are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes is that they're not able to produce as much insulin as they should," Patti speculated.

"If the nutritional environment that the baby is in during development is altered, that can affect the function of organs even during adult life -- even though nutrition and everything has been normalized after birth," she added.