Building strong bones in the womb

By Jane Elliott
BBC News, Health reporter

The healthy food message is stressed

Although Dr Corinne Brooks knew all about osteoporosis, she credits enrolling in a special study for her children's good bone health.

Being involved in the 'Southampton Women's Survey' made the consultant gastroenterologist, from Basingstoke even more careful through pregnancy about what she was eating and how it would affect her unborn child.

And she continued the good work by ensuring that daughter Natalie - and her brother Wilfred - always eat healthily.

"I think it did make you more careful about what you give your children to eat, because you have to confess all to the researchers," she said.

Healthy children

The careful diet already seems to have paid dividends.

"My children are very healthy and almost never ill.

I think it does make you more careful what you give your children to eat, because you have to confess all to the researchers Corinne Brooks

"They have a good diet and never ask for snacks because they know they are not going to get them."

The Southampton Women's survey is a massive study, involving 12,500 women and children.

It aims to find evidence that a mother's lifestyle during pregnancy plays just as big a part in their baby's future bone health as what happens after birth.

Lynda Carpenter, who is also part of the study, said being involved had made her more aware of the dangers of osteoporosis.

Natalie's' food diary Eats only home cooked food No fizzy drinks except sparkling water Full fat milk on cereal Eats sweets and chocolate 'in moderation' and occasional low fat crisps Eats plenty of red meat and oily fish Favourite food: Salmon fishcakes

"Being part of this survey has been very helpful because it has ensured I now know what to eat for good bone strength, although we have no family history of osteoporosis."

Osteoporosis - literally "porous bones" - causes a loss of mineral density in the bones, which makes them more likely to break.

It is a particular problem for women as they age, but the Southampton team believe the root of the problem could begin decades earlier - and possibly even before birth.

Researcher Dr Zoë Cole, a specialist registrar in rheumatology at Southampton General Hospital, said the work focuses specifically at how the poor growth of the foetus in the womb and diet and exercise in early life interact.

She said: "I will be trying to find out as much as I can about the crucial time of bone development, and how this relates to later life disease.

"How much is due to what happens in utero - in the womb - and how much is due to diet and activity levels?"

Interviews and scans

All the women involved in the study were quizzed before becoming pregnant about their food intake, activity levels, weighed and measured and their bone strength assessed.

They were also asked about their lifestyles and whether they had ever smoked.

During pregnancy the women had further interviews and scans.

And within a few weeks of birth hundreds of the babies were also scanned to see how the skeletons had grown during pregnancy.

Their mothers were also scanned to see how their own bones had changed during pregnancy and so were the fathers to see their role in determining bone structure.

Up to 400 mothers are taking part in the next phase of the study.

This involves them keeping detailed daily food diaries for their children, who are now seven-years-old.

Both mothers and children will have their heart rate and muscle contractions measured to see how active they are over a week.

The children will also have comprehensive bone scans.

Dr Cole hopes her research will lead to some very specific guidelines and advice on healthy eating and exercise.

A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign which is funding Dr Cole's three-year-study said: "This is a fascinating area.

"If mums-to-be know that the future of their babies' bone health depends largely on what they do during pregnancy then that's a big incentive for them to eat and live healthily during that time."