Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
07:36

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats

Published on: November 20, 2015

Long-term metabolic consequences of being born small for gestational age

Claire Levy-Marchal1, Delphine Jaquet, Paul Czernichow

  • 1INSERM Unit 457, Robert Debré Hospital, 75019 Paris, France. clairelm@inserm.fr

Seminars in Neonatology : SN
|March 12, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Fetal growth restriction may lead to type 2 diabetes and obesity later in life. Catch-up growth and early postnatal development are critical factors in metabolic health.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolic disease research
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Fetal growth restriction is linked to long-term metabolic disorders.
  • Adipose tissue plays a key role in metabolic complications after restricted fetal growth.
  • The precise mechanisms linking fetal growth restriction to insulin resistance are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence on the fetal and early origins of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and obesity.
  • To emphasize the role of adipose tissue in catch-up growth and metabolic outcomes following fetal growth restriction.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing evidence.
  • Analysis of proposed pathways for insulin resistance development.
  • Focus on the impact of adipose tissue and growth patterns.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests a connection between fetal growth restriction and later metabolic diseases.
  • Adipose tissue's role in catch-up growth is implicated in metabolic complications.
  • Several potential pathways for insulin resistance have been proposed but not definitively proven.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal and early life growth significantly influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and obesity.
  • Early postnatal growth is also a critical period for metabolic health.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms involved.

More Related Videos

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings14:40

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings

Published on: October 25, 2015

A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis06:19

A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis

Published on: January 7, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Inborn Errors of Metabolism01:20

Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology01:24

Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology

PathophysiologyType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM ) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and progressive pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, leading to impaired glucose homeostasis. It results from interactions among genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and metabolic stressors, such as overnutrition and a sedentary lifestyle.Insulin Resistance and Glucose DysregulationEarly T2DM involves insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and the liver.