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. （點擊英國廣播公司網站查看原文）

孕期節食會改變胎兒基因

?????? 據英國廣播公司報道，研究人員稱，母親懷孕期間節食會改變孩子的DNA，增加孩子肥胖風險。

?????? 這項即將發表在《糖尿病》雜志的研究顯示，食用較少的碳水化合物會改變孩子的部分DNA。之后，基因發生此類改變的孩子會更胖。

?????? 胎兒一直在娘胎里尋求線索，預測自己出生后的環境，然后通過改變DNA來調整適應。

?????? 動物研究表明，改變飲食可以改變基因的功能——這就是所謂的“后生變化”。

?????? 在這項研究中，研究者們從臍帶中取樣并尋找“后生變化標記物”，結果顯示懷孕早期攝取較少的碳水化合物，如糖和淀粉，生出的孩子會有此類標記物，之后在6至9歲的肥胖兒童中也發現了此類標記物，從而證明了兩者的密切聯系。

(China.org.cn May 3, 2011)