What your mother ate right before getting pregnant with you may affect your health for the rest of your life.

Research presented at a conference of the Society for the Study of Reproduction found several ways that maternal nutrition changed health down the road.

In a study from Washington University, mice showed that diet affects offspring.

A researcher transferred embryos from a diabetic mouse to healthy mice. She then found more birth defects than usual in the transplanted mice.

Another study, from the University of Nottingham, found that, in sheep and rodents, mothers with vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies had babies that were fatter, more insulin resistant and had higher blood pressure in middle age.

Researchers said the work shows that molecular changes during development can show up years later.

Also, low protein could cause "jumpy" offspring, a study from the University of Southampton found.

Again looking at mice, a researcher found that mothers with low protein diets also had babies with abnormal growth, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

Though valuable, animal studies do not always translate directly to results in people.