Preconception diet plays key role in health of offspring

Parents' diets and lifestyle can have profound implications for the growth, development, and long-term health of their children before their conception, according to new research led by UCL. The three papers, published in The Lancet today, have substantial societal and public health implications, and point to a new emphasis on preparing for conception. The researchers from UCL, The University of Southampton, The University of Queensland, Australia, and the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, draw on existing evidence from around the world to redefine the preconception period, outline how preconception risk factors affect the unborn baby and lifelong health risks, and propose interventions to help improve preconception health. The authors present two new analyses of the diets and health of women of reproductive age (18-42 years old) in the UK and Australia. "The preconception period is a critical time when parental health - including weight, metabolism, and diet - can influence the risk of future chronic disease in children, and we must now re-examine public health policy to help reduce this risk," says lead author of the three paper Series, Professor Judith Stephenson (UCL Institute for Women's Health). "While the current focus on risk factors, such as smoking and excess alcohol intake, is important, we also need new drives to prepare nutritionally for pregnancy for both parents.