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E. Marelyn Wintour
Monash University

Julie Owens
University of Adelaide

About this book

Early Life Origins of Health and Disease is a new book which presents and discusses the many factors that may have impact on normal development. In a concise and readable manner, the authors consider both the proven and suggestive evidence that the high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and, in some populations, kidney disease, may not be all due to genetics or adult environment alone. There is good evidence that stress and more subtle dietary deficiencies, as well as placental malfunction, may increase the risk that the offspring will develop these problems in later life. Finally, new and emerging evidence for other areas of human health and disease such a motor control and mental health is critically reviewed for the first time. The book is a ‘must’ for all scientists interested in researching these areas, as there is a critical evaluation of the methodology used and suggestions for the ‘optimal’ way in which to investigate these phenomena.

Table of contents

1. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: The Breadth
and Importance of the Concept
Peter D. Gluckman and Mark A. Hanson

THE HUMAN CONTEXT

2. Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes
and Obesity in Humans
Caroline H.D. Fall

3. Studies of Twins: What Can They Tell Us about the Developmental
Origins of Adult Health and Disease?
Ruth Morley, Terence Dwyer and John B. Carlin

4. Prenatal Programming of Human Motor Function
Julia B. Pitcher, David J. Henderson-Smart and Jeffrey S. Robinson

PATHWAYS OF PROGRAMMING

5. Adaptive Responses of Early Embryos to Their Microenvironment
and Consequences for Post-Implantation Development
Jeremy Thompson, Michelle Lane and Sarah Robertson

6. Modification of Epigenetic State through Dietary Manipulation
in the Developing Mammalian Embryo
Nicola Vickaryous and Emma Whitelaw

7. Critical Experiments to Determine if Early Nutritional Influences
on Epigenetic Mechanisms Cause Metabolic Imprinting in Humans
Robert A. Waterland

8. Manipulation of the Maternal Diet in Rat Pregnancy: Different Approaches
to the Demonstration of the Programming Principle
Simon C. Langley-Evans, Leanne Bellinger, Dean Sculley, Alison Langley-Evans
and Sarah McMullen

PHYSIOLOGY OF PROGRAMMING

9. Programming Hypertension–Animal Models: Causes and Mechanisms
Kate M. Denton, Michelle M. Kett and Miodrag Dodic

10. Developmental Programming of Cardiovascular Dysfunction
Lucilla Poston, James A. Armitage and Paul D. Taylor

11. Kidney Development and Fetal Programming
Karen M. Moritz and Luise A. Cullen-McEwen

12. Programming of Obesity–Experimental Evidence
Bernhard H. Breier, Stefan O. Krechowec and Mark H. Vickers

13. Perinatal Programming of Adult Metabolic Homeostasis:
Lessons From Experimental Studies
Kathryn L. Gatford, Miles J. De Blasio, Miodrag Dodic, Dane M. Horton
and Karen L. Kind

14. Programming Effects of Excess Glucocorticoid Exposure in Late Gestation
Timothy J.M. Moss and Deborah M. Sloboda

EMERGING FRONTIERS

15. Programming Effects of Moderate and Binge Alcohol Consumption
Jeff Schwartz and Luke C. Carey

16. Vitamin D in Pregnancy and Offspring Health
Marianne Tare, Helena C. Parkington and Ruth Morley

17. The Fetal Origins of Adult Mental Illness
Laura Bennet and Alistair J. Gunn

18. Hypoxia, Fetal Growth and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Dino A. Giussani