International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Stress during pregnancy could impact on the obesity of an unborn child, new research has revealed.

Scientists in the US fed pregnant mice with a low-protein diet, which caused their female offspring to rapidly put on weight and show early signs of diabetes.

Tests carried out on the mice revealed that it was the genetic impact of stress hormones which affected the weight of the offspring.

The same effects were not seen in male offspring, which appeared to grow in a normal way.

Both the male and female mice started out being underweight, then the changes occurred when they were fed a fatty diet.

"Intervention during pregnancy and childhood might be an efficient way to prevent adult obesity," said lead researcher Dr Ruijan Han from the University of Minnesota.

Recently, a study by scientists at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health showed that women are likely to suffer from depression and anxiety before the birth of their child if they lack support from their partner.

Posted by David Smith