jueves, 1 de diciembre de 2016

Mother’s BMI may affect the biological age of new born babies

Higher BMI in mothers before pregnancy is associated with shorter telomere length – a biomarker for biological age – in newborns, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine that involved 743 mothers and their babies. The study by researchers at Hasselt University, Belgium is the first to report a strong association between mothers’ BMI and telomere length in newborns.

Telomeres are structures at the ends of chromosomes which are vital in maintaining the stability of a person’s genome as they protect chromosomes from degradation. Telomere length, which is measured by the number of DNA base pairs they occupy, is directly linked to the number of times a cell can divide in its lifetime. Thus, longer telomeres allow cells to divide more often, providing a link between telomere length and biological age. Telomere length in adults has been associated with age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and increased mortality, but telomere research on newborns remains limited.

Mother’s BMI may affect the biological age of new born babies

Babies born to women with obesity are older on a molecular level, because of shortened telomere lengths, compared with newborns of mothers with a normal BMI. This may increase the babies' risk of chronic diseases in adulthood and reduce their life expectancy. The study by researchers at Hasselt University, Belgium was published in BMC Medicine and involved 743 mothers and their babies.