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Growth and later health: a general perspective

Alan Lucas1

  • 1The MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.

Nestle Nutrition Workshop Series. Paediatric Programme
|February 9, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Early growth significantly impacts long-term health, influencing risks for obesity, cardiovascular disease, and even cognitive development. Understanding these early growth patterns is crucial for preventing adult diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Pediatric growth and its derangements are well-studied.
  • Emerging evidence highlights early growth's fundamental role in programming later health.
  • Concepts like the postnatal growth acceleration hypothesis link early growth to adult disease risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the fundamental role of early growth in long-term health.
  • To understand the mechanisms, triggers, and critical windows of early growth's influence.
  • To identify public health implications for primary disease prevention.

Main Methods:

  • Review of animal and human studies on early growth patterns.
  • Analysis of evidence linking early growth to obesity and cardiovascular disease.
  • Examination of the impact of early growth on brain development and cognition.

Main Results:

  • Rapid early growth is associated with increased risks of obesity and cardiovascular disease.
  • Early growth influences senescence and lifespan in animal models.
  • Catch-up growth in infants born small may confer adverse health outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Early growth, including prenatal and postnatal phases, has profound programming effects on lifelong health.
  • Understanding these effects offers potential for primary prevention strategies against adult diseases.
  • Further research into the mechanisms and critical windows of early growth is warranted.

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