Poor maternal diet can put infant at risk of diabetes

Washington | January 07, 2012

Scientists have now discovered how poor nutrition during pregnancy can put offspring at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other age-related diseases in later life. This finding could lead to new ways of identifying people who are at a higher risk of developing these diseases and might open up targets for treatment. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester, found that, in both rats and humans, individuals who experience a poor diet in the womb are less able to store fats correctly in later life.