Fetal Programming and Adult Disease

ABSTRACT

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension are leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies suggests that adverse exposure in uterus, particularly with regard to nutrition, increases the risk of chronic disease in adults. Nutritional programming is the process through which variation in the quality or quantity of nutrients consumed during pregnancy exerts permanent effects upon the developing fetus. Research on programming in relation to disease processes has been facilitated by the development of animal models that utilize restriction or over-feeding. Such studies have introduced the concept of developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). The underlying mechanisms of DOHaD remain an area of research interest and intense investigation. Although great strides have been made in identifying the putative concepts and mechanisms relating specific exposure in early life to the risk of developing chronic diseases in adult, many aspects of these associations remain unclear. This paper discusses the potential mechanisms behind the DOHaD as they relate to maternal nutrition and implications for future research and clinical practice.