The mother's diet during pregnancy influences the facial features of the unborn child. A diet rich in proteins leads to larger nasal cavities and lower jaw bones.
A similar mechanism, also observed in zebrafish, could come into play in humans, but further research will be needed to confirm it. The discovery comes from the study published in the journal Nature Communications and led by the Karolinska University of Stockholm, which provides new information on how environmental factors, such as what the mother eats, can influence development of the fetus.