Is being overweight in pregnancy associated with the development of cerebral palsy?
A new study published in JAMA has found increased rates of cerebral palsy in children whose mothers are overweight or obese. The study was conducted in Sweden and analysed data from 1,423,929 children born between 1997 and 2012. In total, 3,029 children were diagnosed with cerebral palsy during this time, and it was found that increasing BMI was associated with an increased reporting of cerebral palsy. It is estimated that 45% of these cases was due to asphyxia-related complications.
Maternal overweight can increase the risk of asphyxia-related neonatal complications, preterm delivery, and congenital malformations, all of which are in turn associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy. The authors want to highlight that whilst the effect of maternal obesity on cerebral palsy might be small when compared to other risk factors, the associated risk is relevant to public health due to the large number of women who are overweight and obese.
Read MoreWeight gain in a child’s first six months
Researchers from the University of Delaware have found that rapid weight gain in a child’s first six months could be a risk factor for obesity in later life. The researchers stated that nearly 10 percent of infants were considered ‘high weight for length’ and were keen to examine how infants could achieve a healthy weight as they enter childhood. It has been shown before that breastfeeding gives protection to babies against rapid weight gain and obesity, however in the USA around 60% of infants are exposed to formula as the exclusive form of nutrition or in combination with breast milk.
The authors of this study were aiming to examine how the various compositions of infant formulas affect energy balance, weight gain and growth. It was found that infants who received cow’s milk formula had a quicker weight gain, whilst those that received hydrolysed protein formula and breastmilk had a slower and similar weight gain. The researchers are hoping to conduct further research into the various effects of formula on weight gain, and the potential lasting effects. They also hope that parents are given more information in the future about what is best for their baby.
Read MoreAfrican genomic variant associated with obesity
An international team of scientists have identified a genomic variant which predisposes Africans and African-Americans to obesity. Many genomic studies thus far have focused on Europeans, whilst across the USA, African-Americans have the highest age-adjusted rates for obesity. The researchers used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to investigate this, as well as the genomic effects in continental Africans. A GWAS compares the genomes of people with a health condition to those that do not. In this study, the gene semaphorin-4D (SEMA4D) was identified, which is absent in both Europeans and Asians.
Due to the dearth in research in people of African descent, this study has been recognised as one of the first to perform a GWAS for this particular issue. The findings may also help to explain how the African environment can influence specific genes in the context of obesity risk. The authors hope to replicate their findings in larger populations and use animal models to further assess the effect of SEMA4D.
Read MoreThe European change in fat metabolism from ancient to modern times
Recently, evolutionary biologists have been looking into how changes in diet have led to human adaptations to genes that regulate fat metabolism. There are two essential genes that regulate the synthesis of vital fatty acids, fatty acid desaturase 1 and 2 (FADS 1 and 2). They change dietary fats into components for use in the heart and brain. Previously, scientists have shown that the FADS genes are commonly targets of natural selection, as variants appear associated with changes in dietary patterns. In this study data from 101 Bronze Age individuals and present-day human data are examined. Recent adaptive mutations in the FADS genes were analysed to determine which mutations might have been selected for.
They found that certain single DNA mutations have been targeted to increase the production of the long-chain PUFAS, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid. This is similar to a change seen in the Indian population, whose diet is heavily vegetarian. It is therefore hypothesised that the European population may be in the process of adapting to a diet rich in fatty acids derived from plant sources, whilst moving away from those derived from animal sources. It is thought that the introduction of agriculture and its high uptake in Europe has contributed to this shift, as more people have been consuming grains and other plant-derived foods. They performed further research whose results suggested that these changes in PUFA production led to an improved cholesterol level. It is hoped that more research into the FADS region may help to develop individualised diets in the future.
Read More‘No fat’ and ‘no sugar’ labels are misleading the public
A new study led by the University of North Carolina has found that terms such as ‘no fat’ and ‘no sugar’ give consumers a false sense of confidence when purchasing such items, in fact they rarely reflect the actual nutritional quality of the food. The researchers found that foods with the ‘low fat’ or ‘low sugar’ claims often had a worse nutritional profile than those without. It was found that producers of these foods would make compromises in their manufacture. For example, they might lower the fat content of a drink, but then raise the sugar content in parallel, giving the illusion that the new drink is healthier due to a ‘lower fat content’.
The US Food and Drug Administration allow manufacturers to assign labels to their foods, however the researchers of this study suggest that these labels are confusing and misleading as they are relative and commonly only about one nutrient. Foods with the ‘low’ claim are even more confusing, as the FDA categorises that as food that has less than three grams per reference amount customarily consumed, however the reference point varies for different types of food (eg cheesecake against brownies). Data from more than 80 million food purchases was analysed in this study and the authors hope to continue their research into looking how these claims affect consumer choice and how they interact with other sales strategies.
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