Research links father’s gene to baby’s birth weight

Research suggests that expression of the father’s genes enhances a baby’s growth.

A father’s genetic code influences the weight of a baby at birth, according to a new study. The study led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) suggests that genes inherited from the mother and father regulate a baby’s growth at different times during the pregnancy, to ensure a successful birth as well as the mother’s survival.

Low birth weight is a well-known risk factor for Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems in later life. One group of growth genes of particular interest are the imprinted genes inherited from one’s parents. If the paternal one is expressed, the maternal one is imprinted (silenced) and vice versa.

The ‘parental conflict hypothesis’ suggests that expression of the father’s genes enhances a baby’s growth, improving the success of the paternal genome to be passed on. In contrast, the mother’s genome limits foetal growth, distributing equal resources to each of her offspring, whilst ensuring her own survival post-birth allowing her to reproduce again.

The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, looked at the relationship between birth weight and the paternally expressed Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) early in gestation, where IGF2 is a key hormone regulating growth in the womb. Professor Gudrun Moore, lead author at the UCL Institute of Child Health, says most of us think of both the mother’s and father’s genes as having an equal influence on birth weight, but this does not appear to be the case.

“Our study suggests that the two parental genomes may be acting at different times during the pregnancy in order to control the baby’s size. Whilst greater foetal growth appears to be promoted by the father’s genes early on, it must still require careful regulation by the mother to ensure a successful birth,” he said. He added that understanding the genetic basis of foetal growth is of critical importance in the prevention and monitoring of small and low weight babies.

Source: The Indian Express

 


Sugary drinks may up uterine cancer risk

Postmenopausal women who consume sugar-sweetened drinks are at a higher risk of developing cancer of the endometrium – the lining of the uterus – a new study has warned.

Researchers found that postmenopausal women who reported the highest intake of sugar-sweetened beverages had a 78 per cent increased risk for estrogen-dependent type I endometrial cancer (the most common type of this disease).

This association was found in a dose-dependent manner: the more sugar-sweetened beverages a woman drank, the higher her risk.

“Although ours is the first study to show this relationship, it is not surprising to see that women who drank more sugar-sweetened beverages had a higher risk of estrogen-dependent type I endometrial cancer but not estrogen-independent type II endometrial cancer,” said researcher Maki Inoue-Choi.

“Other studies have shown increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has parallelled the increase in obesity,” said Inoue-Choi, who led the study as a research associate in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

“Obese women tend to have higher levels of estrogens and insulin than women of normal weight. Increased levels of estrogens and insulin are established risk factors for endometrial cancer,” said Inoue-Choi.

Inoue-Choi and colleagues used data from 23,039 postmenopausal women who reported dietary intake, demographic information, and medical history in 1986, prior to the cancer diagnosis, as part of the Iowa Women’s Health Study.

Dietary intake was assessed using the Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), which asked study participants to report intake frequency of 127 food items in the previous 12 months.

Between 1986 and 2010, 506 type I and 89 type II endometrial cancers were recorded among the women Inoue-Choi and colleagues studied.

They did not find any association between type I or type II endometrial cancers and consumption of sugar-free soft drinks, sweets/baked goods, and starch.

Source: Indian Express

 


Switzerland may ban drivers from wearing high heels

This may give flat packing a new meaning for travelers to Switzerland.

The Alpine nation may soon ban drivers from wearing high heels and other types of shoes behind the wheel, The Sunday Times reports.

Police have been lobbying for the restrictions after a number of high-profile accidents tied to inappropriate footwear, including ski boots.

Drivers caught violating the new law could face a suspension of their license and up to three months in prison.

The specific kinds of footwear that will be affected have not yet been determined, but donate think you ll be able to just kick off your heels if you see a police car in your rear view mirror.

Barefoot driving is expected to be banned there as well.

Source: Bubble news