YOU ARE WHAT YOUR MOTHER ATE

Mothers who eat an unhealthy diet during pregnancy may be putting their children at risk of developing long-term irreversible health problems like obesity and raised levels of cholesterol and blood sugar. The study was carried out in rats and funded by the Wellcome Trust.

A study published last year showed that pregnant rats fed a diet of processed junk food like doughnuts, muffins, cookies, potato chips and candy during pregnancy were more likely to give birth to babies that overate and had a preference for junk food when compared to the offspring of rats that were given regular feed.

Now, in a follow-up study published in The Journal of Physiology, the same researchers have shown that the mother's diet has an effect lasting beyond childhood. Even when the rats were weaned from junk food, their metabolism was changed, suggesting a long-term health impact.

Now, in a follow-up study published in The Journal of Physiology, the same researchers have shown that the mother's diet has an effect lasting beyond childhood. Even when the rats were weaned from junk food, their metabolism was changed, suggesting a long-term health impact.

The offspring of the mothers fed junk food diets had raised levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Both are known to increase the risk of developing heart disease. Similarly, the 'junk food babies' had higher levels of glucose and insulin, both of which increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

The researchers studied the rats beyond adolescence through to adulthood and observed that the 'junk food' rats were still fatter than those whose mothers had eaten a healthier diet while pregnant and breastfeeding.

Crucially, this partly manifested itself as increased fat mass surrounding the kidneys; this perirenal fat is also involved in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Although the study was carried out in rats, the findings are likely to be applicable to humans. A 2007 US study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology showed a direct correlation between the weight gained by a pregnant mother and the obesity of her child.

Dr. Stephanie Bayol, one of the researchers said, "It seems that a mother's diet while pregnant and breastfeeding is very important for the long term health of her child. We always say 'you are what you eat'. In fact, it may also be true that 'you are what your mother ate.' This doesn't mean that obesity and poor health is inevitable and it is important that we take care of ourselves and live a healthy lifestyle. But it does mean that mothers must eat responsibly while pregnant."

If you are pregnant now, or plan to be in the future, I suggest you read Dr. Bayol's quote again. Your child's future health may depend on it. And in another article related to children's health, a study has come up with a surprising treatment for asthma, get a cat.

MORE THAN JUST A PURR

A study released by researchers at Columbia University, shows that cat ownership may have a protective effect against the development of asthma symptoms in young children. The study found that children with cats in the home were more likely to have made allergy-related antibodies to cats.

Dr. Matthew Perzanowski said "While the study design does not allow us to recommend early cat ownership to prevent asthma, it does seem to indicate that avoidance of cats to prevent the development of asthma is not advised. However, once a child has asthma and is allergic to cats, the recommendation would still be to find a new home for the cat."

The study is part of a broader multi-year research project started in 1998, which examines the health effects of exposure of pregnant women and babies to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, pesticides, and allergens. The Center's prior research findings have shown that exposure to multiple environmental pollutants are associated with an increase in risk for asthma symptoms among children. For this study, the investigators controlled for other exposures that might have contributed to developmental problems such as socioeconomic factors and exposure to tobacco smoke and other environmental contaminants.

Dr. Rachel Miller, senior author of the study said, "Today's findings contribute to a further understanding of how the environment impacts children's health. The presence of cats in the home at a very early age seems to help reduce the risk of developing asthma."

And now we'll examine an ancient medical mystery and how it was solved by British scientists.

THE FINGER-LUNG LINK

Researchers at the University of Leeds in England have finally explained a puzzling medical condition, identified more than 2,000 years ago by Hippocrates, the 'Father of Medicine'.

The phenomenon of "finger clubbing", a deformity of the fingers and fingernails, has been known for thousands of years, and has long been recognized as a sign of a wide range of serious diseases - especially lung cancer.

"It's one of the first things they teach you at medical school," explained Professor David Bonthron of the Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine. "You shake the patient by the hand, and take a good look at their fingers in the process."

Lung cancer, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, various gastrointestinal diseases and many other diseases all result in finger clubbing. But exactly why swollen, reddened fingers should be an indicator of serious illness has remained a mystery - until now.

Some cases of clubbed fingers are benign, but because of its strong link to lung cancer, the condition has always been regarded as sinister. But clubbing has been linked to so many conditions that what they had in common wasn't clear.

The researchers found clues in the medical literature, as they examined past cases and previous research. They discovered that finger clubbing disappears in patients with cystic fibrosis who have a lung transplant. Finger clubbing also disappears in emphysema patients who have their lungs drained. This suggested that impaired lung function is somehow crucial to finger clubbing but the link remained missing.

Prof Bonthron, and his colleagues studied a group of patients suffering from inherited primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO), a genetic disorder in which the finger clubbing is accompanied by painful joint enlargement and a thickening of the bone.

Their findings implicated a fatty compound called PGE2 produced naturally by the body to combat inflammation. Crucially, once it has done its work, PGE2 is broken down by an enzyme produced in the lungs. If the lungs are impaired in any way, PGE2 is not broken down and builds up in the body.

In lung cancer patients, it is most likely overproduction of PGE2 by the tumor that causes the clubbing. In congenital heart disease, blood bypasses the lungs, where PGE2 is normally broken down.

The researchers suggest that a straightforward urine test for levels of PGE2 may be a useful first step to diagnose individuals with unexplained clubbing and to understanding whether it is the symptom of something far more serious. The results also suggest that existing drugs like aspirin, which is already used to prevent PGE2 production, may be effective in reducing the painful symptoms of finger clubbing.

It has taken 2,000 years to make the connection, but Bonthron adds: "Actually, when you look back, it's rather obvious. When we found this gene, everything else fell neatly into place - it was like a smack on the forehead."