The “fetal” or “early” origins of adult disease hypothesis was originally put forward by David
Barker and colleagues and stated that environmental factors, particularly nutrition, act in …

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), defined as impaired growth and development of the
mammalian embryo/fetus or its organs during pregnancy, is a major concern in domestic …

Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength with age (1). There is
increasing recognition of the serious health consequences of sarcopenia both in terms of …

Fetal growth is determined by the interaction between the environment and the fetal
genome. The fetal environment, in turn, is determined by the maternal environment and by …

Developmental programming is the concept that a maternal stimulus or insult at a critical
period in fetal development has long-term effects on the offspring. Historically, considerable …

Significance: Epidemiological and animal studies have demonstrated a close link between
maternal nutrition and chronic metabolic disease in children and adults. Compelling …

In polytocous species such as the pig there is intralitter variation in birth weight and skeletal
muscle fiber number. It is commonly recognized that low birth weight in piglets correlates …

Maternal nutrient restriction (NR) affects fetal development with long‐term consequences on
postnatal health of offspring, including predisposition to obesity and diabetes. Most studies …

This paper describes three strategies to improve the reproductive performance of small
ruminants in ways that lead to “clean, green and ethical” animal production. The first is …

Beef cattle are raised for their lean tissue, and excessive fat accumulation accounts for large
amounts of waste. On the other hand, intramuscular fat or marbling is essential for the …