Conception diet:Babies whose mothers do not get enough essential B vitamins around the time of conception may grow up predisposed to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, new research suggests.
A study of female sheep showed that reducing their intake of B12 and folate prior to pregnancy produced major physical effects in their future offspring. At two years old the young sheep were 25 per cent fatter than normal, had significantly raised blood pressure and showed signs of insulin resistance.
Scientists believe there is a good chance of them becoming obese, prone to heart disease and afflicted by type 2 diabetes.
They think the same pattern might occur in humans, but is masked by the effects of diet and lifestyle, according to the findings, published yesterday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Migraine sensations:Migraines may do more than cause head-splitting pain, according to a study published today in the journal Neurology. People who experience severe headaches have differences in the part of the brain that deals with sensations, scientists have found.
Neurologists who took brain images of 24 people who suffered frequent migraines and 12 who did not found that part of the brain called the somatosensory cortex - which processes information such as touch and pain - was 21 per cent thicker in those who had a history of migraines.
Dr Nouchine Hadjikhani, who led the study at the Massachusetts general hospital in Boston, said: "This may explain why people with migraines often also have other pain disorders such as back pain, jaw pain and other sensory problems such as allodynia, where the skin becomes so sensitive that even a gentle breeze can be painful."
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"It is essential that managers and employers are better equipped to deal with the issues which arise, and that those affected by cancer are given the right advice at the right time." - Ayesha Owusu-Barnaby, head of campaigns and public affairs at Macmillan Cancer Support, which conducted a survey that found one in three line managers would not be confident in dealing with someone returning to work who had been diagnosed with cancer.