BOSTON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Prenatal disruptions such as maternal smoking or diet or chemical exposure may affect genes increasing the risk of disease later, U.S. researchers say.
"This study may help us understand whether epigenetic mechanisms contribute to chronic disease susceptibility already prior to birth," study author Karin Michels of the Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a statement. "We are currently exploring which stressors during prenatal life may contribute to these epigenetic -- modifications to the genome -- disruptions."