London: Doctors in Mumbai will work with scientists from the University of Southampton to improve the health of young women in India, helping protect their children from illness.

At least one-third of Indian babies have a low birth weight, weighing on an average about 2.7-kg. This makes them highly susceptible to conditions such as heart disease, stroke or Type 2 Diabetes when they are older, according to a report in ‘BBC’.

The team from University of Southampton is looking at the foetal origins of adult Diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Pune, Mysore, Vellore, Delhi and Mumbai. They are looking at the effect of young women's lifestyles and dietary habits on their babies' health.

The researchers say that improving the size and physique of women before they become pregnant is a key challenge. They aim to ensure a group of women from the Mumbai area receive the micronutrients, such as copper and zinc, which they need before pregnancy.

They will then monitor their babies' health, the report said.

A study of 800 women in Pune has already found that birth size was strongly linked to the consumption of milk, green leafy vegetables and fruits at various stages of the pregnancy, it added.

Dr Caroline Fall, a member of the University of Southampton's Centre for Foetal Origins of Adult Disease, said, "Evidence that low birth weight equates to adult disease is very consistent in this part of the world. We see the effects when we study children, many of whom have high blood pressure and we are now seeing the beginnings of epidemics at the adult end".

She also said that many women in developing countries were often deficient in key micronutrients, essential for a baby's growth, which they could obtain from fruits and vegetables.

ANI



,