Micronutrients prior to pregnancy affect offspring 24 February
2012 Scientists find that micronutrients affect methylation,
which has been associated with changes in the immune system. The
offspring of women who were given micronutrient supplements
(minerals needed in small quantities, such as iron, iodine and
vitamin A) before they became pregnant had gene modifications at
birth as well as when they were tested at 9 months. The changes
to the genes, called methylation, have previously been
associated with the development of the immune system, although
this study did not provide direct evidence that the activity of
these genes has changed. The research, funded by the BBSRC, was
published today in the journal Human Molecular Genetics in
advance online publication (DOI number DDS026). Rainy season in
The Gambia. Image: treesftf from Flickr Professor Nabeel Affara,
lead author of the study from the University of Cambridge, said:
"The mechanism by which micronutrients influence methylation
changes is still to be