Researchers have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight.
Based on a news release from the Wellcome Trust Researchers have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight, providing further evidence that genes as well as maternal nutrition are important for growth in the womb. Three of the regions are also linked to adult metabolism, helping to explain why smaller babies have higher rates of chronic diseases later in life. It has been known for some time that babies born with a lower birth weight are at higher risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease. Three genetic regions have already been identified that influence birth weight, two of which are also linked to an increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. The latest study, published in Nature Genetics , analysed almost 70,000 individuals of European descent from 43 separate studies of pregnancy and birth. The findings confirmed the three regions previously identified and also revealed four new genetic regions that are associated with birth weight. The study involved researchers from University of Exeter Medical School , University of Oxford , Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , University of Bristol , Imperial College London, University of Southampton , University of Oulu , and Erasmus Medical Center.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
