High-Fat Diet During Pregnancy Affects Infant's Brain

BEAVERTON, Ore.—Women who consume a high-fat diet during pregnancy may increase the risk of behavioral disorders in their children, according to a new study (J Neurosci. 2010 Mar 10;30(10):3826-30). Researchers from the Oregon Health & Sciences University, Oregon National Primate Research Center, used a nonhuman primate model of diet-induced obesity to determine the effects of maternal obesity on the development of brain circuitry that regulates the offspring’s behavior. The research team found females who consumed a high-fat diet during pregnancy caused perturbations in the central serotonergic system of the fetal offspring. Also, female infants from the mothers fed the high-fat diet exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior. While previous studies have shown a link between childhood obesity and increased risk of behavioral and psychological disorders, this study shows maternal fat consumption—independent of the offspring’s weight—increases the risk of developing behavioral disorders.