Early Life Aetiology and Mechanisms of Diabetes and Related Metabolic Disorders

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The aim of this programme is to predict and prevent childhood obesity by identifying genetic, dietary and other factors that act during infancy. The specific objectives are to identify genetic factors and patterns of early infant diet and growth that predict childhood obesity, and to develop and test interventions to avoid excessive infant weight gain and childhood obesity. |Childhood obesity is a major public health problem. Research is important because 1) currently there are no proven interventions to prevent childhood obesity, 2) rates of obesity are rising even in young children, 3) childhood obesity has important consequences for childhood health and development, as well as adult health.|This research is being performed in a number of UK birth cohort studies, including close collaborations with the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), the Southampton Womens Study (SWS), and the Cambridge Baby Growth Study (MRC Epidemiology Unit & Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge). Candidate genetic factors for study in DNA samples collected in children are selected by in collaboration with the Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge Genetics of Energy & Metabolism (GEM) consortium. Prediction models for risk of childhood obesity and its complications will be based on collaborative studies between investigators from a wide range of UK and international birth cohort studies. |A randomised controlled trial will be performed by recruiting mothers during pregnancy to test whether education to avoid excess infant nutrient intake will prevent rapid infant weight gain and childhood obesity risk. Future targeted interventions will be developed for testing in infants and young children identified to have high risk of childhood obesity.