As diabetes ever increases in the US and abroad, researchers struggle to find causes, treatments and cures. Now there is evidence that the dad’s diet at the time of conception may contribute to programming epigenetic changes in their offspring – in other words contributing to the baby’s susceptibility for diabetes.
“We’ve known for a while that overweight mums are more likely to have chubby babies, and that a woman’s weight before and during pregnancy can play a role in future disease in her children, partly due to the critical role the intrauterine environment play in development,” said research team leader Margaret Morris from UNSW’s School of Medical Sciences.
Until this new study was released, there was no information on the dad’s responsibility for causing similar effects. The data was reported in the journal Nature and is the basis of the PhD study of Dr. Sheau-Fang Ng who showed that paternal diet and weight are contributors to their offspring’s disease potential.
“A family history of diabetes s one of the strongest risk factors for the disease; however until now, the extent of any influence of non-genetic paternal factors has been unclear,” said Professor Morris.
She continued, “It adds another level to our understanding of the causes of the growing epidemics in obesity and diabetes.”
Source: University of New South Wales and ScienceDaily
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