‘Long nose, sharp jaw line:’ Study finds mother’s diet directly impacts facial features of children in womb

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Nature Communications has claimed that a mother’s dietary habits might be strongly linked to how her childlooks. The study, published on Mar 26, claimed a mother’s diet could influence some features starting in the womb.

Researchers linked protein levels in the mother’s diet to gene activity, especially mTORC1 genes. The genes directly influence the “craniofacial shape of the embryos,” said the authors.

“We found that modulation of the level of protein in the maternal diet regulates mTORC1 activity, resulting in subtle but distinct changes in the craniofacial shape of the embryos,” the researchers explained.

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Facial features of children linked to protein

The researchers found that high-protein diets in mothers led to stronger, sharper jawlines and bigger noses in children. On the other hand, a low protein diet led to slimmer, pointier features.

Simply put, a mother’s protein intake has a significant influence on the shape and size of the nose or jaw of their children.

Mother’s diet linked to the health of children

Previous studies have linked the mother’s diet to the health of newborn babies already. For example, the vegan diet of mothers has been linked to lower weight in children at the time of birth.

A study published earlier this year found that mothers who were obese were more likely to give birth to children facing heightened risk of metabolic conditions — such as fatty liver disease — later in life.

Another study revealed that mothers who ate excessive processed foods could pass on harmful chemicals to their fetuses.

How was the study conducted?

To conduct the study, scientists observed behaviours in pregnant mice and zebrafish.

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Scientists took genetically manipulated animals and observed changes in their offspring by making changes in their nutrition levels.

Significance

The study suggests that maternal nutrition could have a long-lasting impact on offspring, which might help them evolve according to certain environmental conditions.

“In summary, we have demonstrated here that the mTORC1 pathway modulates the embryonic shaping of craniofacial skeletal elements at the stage of chondrogenic condensations, with subsequent fine-tuning during intercalation of chondro-progenitors,” wrote the study authors.

“Furthermore, we provide evidence for an impact of maternal protein intake during pregnancy on the shaping of fetal craniofacial cartilage,” they added.

(With inputs from agencies)