Southampton researchers have demonstrated that mothers who have higher levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are found in cooking oils and nuts, during pregnancy have fatter children.
The study, part of a larger programme of research directed by Professor Cyrus Cooper at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University, assessed the fat and muscle mass of 293 boys and girls at four and six years, who are part of the Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS), a large prospective mother-offspring cohort. Their assessments were compared to the concentrations of PUFAs which were measured in blood samples collected from their mothers during pregnancy.
Dr Nicholas Harvey, Senior Lecturer at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, who led the research with Dr Rebecca Moon, Clinical Research Fellow, comments: “Obesity is a rising problem in this country and there have been very few studies of mother’s fatty acid levels during pregnancy and offspring fat mass. These results suggest that alterations to maternal diet during pregnancy to reduce n-6 PUFAs intake might have a beneficial effect on the body composition of the developing child.”
Results from the study also showed weaker associations between a mother’s levels of n-3 PUFAs, more commonly known as omega 3 and found in fish oil, and muscle mass in their offspring – the higher the level of n-3 the less fat and more muscle and bone in the baby.
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