Lifetime health 'conditioned in the womb', say researchers in Girona and Valencia
Monday, January 2, 2017 @ 10:37 PM
HUMAN health over the course of a lifetime is conditioned in the womb, according to Spanish scientists.
Psychoneuroimmunologist Dr Xavi Cañellas and nutritionist Dr Jesús Sanchís, in their book Niños sanos, adultos sanos ('Healthy children, healthy adults'), say everything from expecting mothers' diet through to their mental health and even the type of birth, along with breast- or bottle-feeding, has a bearing on the future child's health throughout their entire lives.
But those who take care to avoid or reduce stress, keep to a healthy diet and maintain their intestinal flora in good conditions can reverse some problems people were born with, according to the book.
Abuse of antibiotics by pregnant women can lead to allergies, auto-immune conditions, asthma and food intolerances, among other problems, says Dr Cañellas, who works at the Biomedical Research Institute at Girona's Josep Trueta Hospital.
“It's not normal for young children to have allergies, to have been on antibiotics several times before the age of five, or for teenagers to get acne,” Dr Cañellas insists.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com