Fetal Origins of Cardiovascular and Lung Disease

This watershed reference presents epidemiological, clinical, and experimental evidence that cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and chronic lung disease originate through adaptations to the intrauterine environment. These new findings suggest that major chronic diseases in adult life may be prevented by improving the nutrition of girls and young women to promote healthy fetal development during pregnancy. Focusing on prenatal programming-the process whereby stimuli or insults at critical early periods of life have lasting effects-Fetal Origins of Cardiovascular and Lung Disease demonstrates the associations between low birthweight and cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes in adults reveals the association between prenatal influences and hypertension and asthma in adult life describes pancreatic development in the fetus when the mother is malnourished or experiences metabolic disturbances during pregnancy examines the effects of undernutrition during gestation in experimental animal models discusses how the human fetus adapts to variations in maternoplacental nutrient supply details fetal influences on lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, the somatotrophic axis, andrenarche, and pubarche and more! Investigating when nurturing begins to influence and modulate gene expression, Fetal Origins of Cardiovascular and Lung Disease is critical for pulmonologists, cardiologists, pediatricians, neonatologists, obstetricians, internists, family practice physicians, and hospital interns and residents.