[Source:  The Guardian]

by David Cox

Could a child’s dyslexia be the result of the mother’s diet?

The idea that our health may be determined in part by decisions made before we were born is an uncomfortable and controversial one. Yet vast amounts of data in the field of epigenetics is showing just that. And while “we are what we eat” is a cliche, it may be the case that diet is related to dyslexia.

We now know there is a strong genetic contribution to dyslexia – but genes do not provide the full story. Dyslexia’s genetic landscape is comparable to that of schizophrenia: studies have found particular chromosome sites that appear to be strongly implicated in certain families. In the overall population, a series of genes called alleles have their own (weak) individual effect.

Being born with the alleles associated with dyslexia does not necessarily mean you will develop it as a child: 50% of people who possess this particular genetic makeup have no difficulties reading. It merely indicates a certain vulnerability to the disorder. Instead, the difference between those who become dyslexic and those who don’t may rest on environmental factors before and after birth.

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