Fetal programming

Glucocorticoids and fetal programming.

Glucocorticoids Glucocorticoid hormones (cortisol in humans and most mammals, corticosterone in rats, mice and most lower vertebrates) are produced by the adrenal glands, predominantly under the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Receptors for glucocorticoids are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and, when activated by their hormone ligands, regulate ...

Fetal growth and developmental programming.

The environment in utero and in early neonatal life may induce a permanent response in the fetus and the newborn, leading to enhanced susceptibility to later diseases. This review concentrates on the role and mechanisms of events during the antenatal and immediate postnatal period resulting in later life diseases, concentrating on abnormal growth patterns of the fetus. Fetal overgrowth is relat...

Fetal programming and adult health.

Low birthweight is now known to be associated with increased rates of coronary heart disease and the related disorders stroke, hypertension and non-insulin dependent diabetes. These associations have been extensively replicated in studies in different countries and are not the result of confounding variables. They extend across the normal range of birthweight and depend on lower birthweights in...

Maternal Nutrition and Fetal Programming

Introduction The maternal system can be influenced by many different extrinsic factors, including nutritional status, which can program nutrient partitioning and ultimately growth, development and function of the major fetal organ systems (Wallace, 1948; Wallace et al., 1999; Godfrey and Barker, 2000; Wu et al., 2006). The trajectory of prenatal growth is sensitive to direct and indirect effect...

Fetal programming and future disease.