Restricted diet during pregnancy can contribute to higher risk of heart problem in the child, UK researchers found.
They followed up 216 children at the age of 9 examining their BMI, blood pressure and thickness of arterial walls, an early sign of heart problem.
Children have higher risk if their mother were malnourished during the pregnancy, especially after week 32. But children who exercise and have a lower BMI had a lower risk.
Neither maternal social class, smoking nor BMI was the cause, reported in the journal ATVB published by the American Heart association.
Confirmed in human
It is know that restricted diet in mothers predisposes heart disease risk on offspring from animal studies.
In 1991 and 1992, mothers entering the Princess Anne Maternity Hospital in Southampton were recruited to test if it is true in human also.
Using questionnaires, researchers collected information about the content and amount of the diet. At age 9 months, researchers followed by 559 children. Unfortunately less than half replied at the age of 9 to this study.
They collected the present physical information from the children and performed an ultrasound scan to measure the diameters of arteries in the neck region.
Mothers who ate less than their body requirement often have children with thicker arteries, thus higher heart disease risk. However, the blood pressure is normal.
A better lifestyle such as exercise could reduce the risk even in children.
Fat-related
From the historical record, children carried by mothers experiencing the Dutch Hunger Winter in 1944 had a less healthy cholesterol level.
However high cholesterol in mothers can also give similar risk to their children.
Scientists believed the fat level in the child was affected by the disturbed food-intake, even in prenatal stage.
External Links
> Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology
> American Heart Association
> MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre
