Item #4
Diabetic
Dads 'Have Smaller Babies'
Babies
fathered by men with diabetes are likely to be significantly smaller
than other babies.
While there is no
evidence that this is a direct result of the disease itself, it
suggests that a common genetic factor is involved, they say.
They study, carried out
by scientists at the Institute of Child Health in London and the
University of Bristol, looked at the men born in the first week of
March 1958.
Of the 11,276
41-year-old men and women contacted, 96 said they had type II diabetes
- the kind that normally appears in adulthood.
Of these, 34 men and 24 women had had children.
The offspring of the
fathers with diabetes on average weighed 186g (6oz) less than those
from non-diabetic fathers. There was no other obvious reason such as
the height or weight, or social class of the father which might
explain this. In the
mothers, there was no significant difference between diabetics and
non-diabetics.
There is no theory that
suggests that the illness is a direct cause of reduced birthweight,
particularly given the father's limited role in the pre-natal
development of the fetus.
In addition, many of the
men involved would have had these children at a time when they had no
obvious sign of type II diabetes.
Instead, the researchers
believe that the finding suggests that there is a genetic difference
which contributes both to the chance of developing type II diabetes -
and of being born slightly smaller.
A spokesman for Diabetes
UK said that while the study only covered relatively few men and
women, if the finding were true, it would have far more significance
for the fathers of today.
She said: "Type II
diabetes has become far more prevalent in recent years."
DID
YOU KNOW:
The
association reports that the estimated annual cost of treating
obesity-related diseases is about $100 billion. About $127 million per
year is spent treating overweight children and adolescents. Between
1990 and 2000, the percentage of obese Americans almost doubled,
rising from 11.6 to 20.1%.
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