Are You (and Your Child) What You Eat?

A study of laboratory mice suggests that women who don’t eat well during pregnancy may increase the risk their children will suffer long-term health problems and possibly even die prematurely.

The results of the Cambridge University study reveal that mice fed healthy diets during pregnancy gave birth to offspring that were healthier and longer lived. Conversely, mice that were undernourished in the womb and were fed poor diets throughout adulthood died prematurely.

Researchers concede that, despite the study’s finding, there is no proof the same holds true for humans. Still, they believe it bolsters the argument that low birth weight babies are more likely to develop health problems as they mature.

Other researchers, however, don’t buy it.

Rachel Huxley of the Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia, said a mother's diet is likely to have very little effect on how long her offspring lives when compared to known health risks in adulthood, such as cigarette smoking.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at January 30, 2004 09:13 AM