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Fetal nutrition and cardiovascular disease in adult life
D J Barker1, P D Gluckman, K M Godfrey
1MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Southampton General Hospital, UK.
Insights
Fetal undernutrition can lead to babies being small at birth, increasing adult risks for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Hormonal changes during fetal development link early growth patterns to later health problems.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Endocrinology
- Public health
Background:
- Infants with restricted growth are at higher risk for adult-onset cardiovascular disease and non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
- Patterns of restricted growth include low birthweight, small placental size, thinness, and poor weight gain.
- Fetal adaptations to undernutrition involve hormonal changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between fetal undernutrition at different gestational stages and specific patterns of early infant growth.
- To explore the role of fetal and placental hormones in mediating these growth patterns.
- To understand how persistent hormonal alterations connect fetal undernutrition to adult disease.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of fetal growth patterns in relation to gestational stage and nutritional status.
- Measurement of fetal and placental hormone concentrations.
- Assessment of long-term health outcomes in relation to early growth and hormonal profiles.
Main Results:
- Fetal undernutrition during specific gestational periods is associated with distinct patterns of restricted early growth.
- Adaptations to fetal undernutrition involve significant changes in fetal and placental hormone levels.
- Persistent alterations in hormone secretion and tissue sensitivity are observed.
Conclusions:
- Fetal undernutrition is a critical factor influencing early growth trajectories.
- Hormonal adaptations during gestation play a key role in programming long-term health risks.
- Understanding these mechanisms can inform strategies to prevent adult cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Abstract:
Babies who are small at birth or during infancy have increased rates of cardiovascular disease and non-insulin-dependent diabetes as adults. Some of these babies have low birthweights, some are small in relation to the size of their placentas, some are thin at birth, and some are short at birth and fail to gain weight in infancy. This paper shows how fetal undernutrition at different stages of gestation can be linked to these patterns of early growth. The fetuses' adaptations to undernutrition are associated with changes in the concentrations of fetal and placental hormones. Persisting changes in the levels of hormone secretion, and in the sensitivity of tissues to them, may link fetal undernutrition with abnormal structure, function, and disease in adult life.