Overexposure of the developing fetus to glucocorticoids is hypothesised to be one of the key
mechanisms linking early life development with later life disease. The maternal …

In utero exposure to environmental stress in both animals and humans could result in long-
term epigenome alterations which further lead to consequences for adaptation and …

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 …

Many studies have provided evidence for the hypothesis that size at birth is related to the
risk of developing disease in later life. In particular, links are well established between …

Epidemiological evidence suggests that low birth weight is associated with an increased risk
of cardiovascular, metabolic and neuroendocrine disorders in adult life. Glucocorticoid …

Environmental effects on the materno–foetal interaction determine birth outcomes that
predict health over the lifespan. Thus, maternal undernutrition or stress associate with low …

Adverse influences during fetal life alter the structure and function of distinct cells, organ
systems or homoeostatic pathways, thereby 'programming'the individual for an increased …

Epidemiological evidence suggests that an adverse fetal environment permanently
programs physiology, leading to increased risks of cardiovascular, metabolic, and …

Epidemiological findings and experimental studies in animals have shown that individual
tissues and whole organ systems can be programmed in utero during critical periods of …

The oviduct or Fallopian tube is the anatomical region where every new life begins in
mammalian species. After a long journey, the spermatozoa meet the oocyte in the specific …