“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:”>A new study from researchers in Europe has drawn an association between pregnant mothers’ sodium intake and their newborn’s kidney development. Findings from researchers from the University of Heidelberg and the University of Aarhus in Denmark, is published in the online edition of the American Journal of Physiology – Renal Physiology. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:”>According to the study, either too much or too little salt during pregnancy had an adverse effect on the prenatal development of the offspring’s kidneys. The consequence of such disruption can lead to high blood pressure in later years. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:”>Research involved feeding mice low, medium and high sodium diets during pregnancy and lactation, and then measuring blood pressure over several weeks for male offspring and the amount of sodium and the expression of proteins involved in kidney development.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:”>The researchers found that the number of glomeruli (the main structural unit of the kidney) during weeks 1-12 were significantly lower, and the measured blood pressure for males after the fifth month was higher in offspring of mothers on high- or low- compared with intermediate-sodium diet. “font-family: Verdana;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:”>If researchers can infer the findings in the animals in this study to humans, both too low and too high salt intake during pregnancy would be a risk factor for hypertension and renal damage in the offspring.