New research suggests larger babies have a lower risk of disease later in life.
The findings were only made for weight at birth, but could provide insight into disease prevention in the womb, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology reported.
"These findings support the hypothesis that common long-term variation in the activity of genes established in the womb may underpin links between size at birth and risk for adult disease," said Claire R. Quilter, Ph.D., study author from the Mammalian Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
If the findings are confirmed, it could provide important knowledge regarding the markers of optimal fetal growth and help medical professionals prevent disease before the baby is even born. In the study, researchers worked to either prove or disprove the idea that conditions in the womb leading to a high or low birth rate could affect the expression of genes in the individual; these findings could have implications for disease risk later in life.
To make their findings, researchers looked at DNA differences in cord blood taken from babies that were born to mothers with raised glucose levels during late pregnancy; they also looked at babies who showed delayed growth in the womb, but caught up later on.
The team looked for differences in DNA methylation patterns (which influence gene activity). They identified overlapping signals that were seen in both groups of babies, and subsequently pinpointed in two other groups of infant study subjects.
"In the age of epigenetics, prenatal care is moving beyond infant survival and into optimizing the health of the baby for his or her entire life," said Gerald Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "Understanding the epigenetic factors that play a role in a baby's birthweight will eventually help doctors give the best care and advice to their pregnant patients."
