Fundamental research, Health, Scientific progress

13 - 05 - 2016

Diabetes in children born to overweight mothers

Children born to overweight mothers have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and we don’t know why. A recent study in mice incriminates Leptin, a hormone linked to the amount of fat. A mouse foetus placed in the presence of high levels of Leptin develops a disturbed neural control over the pancreas and blood sugar levels. This irreversible disruption could explain the epidemiological data cited above.