Fetal Origins Of Disease

Question 0

What did the 1980s epidermological data show?

Answer 0

There is a link between birth weight, placental size and future CVD risk

Question 1

What did widdowson and McCance demonstrate?

Answer 1

Malnutrition leads to distinct and different effects, dependant when in the life cycle malnutrition took place

Question 2

What is the present situation of fetal origin research?

Answer 2

That positive lifestyle do have an effect but aetiology has a permanent effect

Question 3

What is the barker hypothesis?

Answer 3

A link between small birth size and heart disease in middle age
Specifically the foetus diverts nutrients from the brain to other body parts

Question 4

What is the critical growth period hypothesis?

Answer 4

Tissues/organs undergo critical growth periods
Periods of increased sensitivity followed by decreased sensitivity
Caused by a complex metabolic response by the fetus

Question 5

What is another name for the critical growth period hypothesis?

Answer 5

Developmental plasticity

Question 6

What are possible mechanisms of fetal origin of diseases

Answer 6

Impaired growth causes altered structure of organs
Genotype
dietary components as gene regulators

Question 7

What is another name for fetal origins of adult disease?

Answer 7

Epigenetics

Question 8

What is the aim of developmental plasticity?

Answer 8

For organisms to develop characteristics IN UTERO that will allow them to survive on there environment
Eg. Prepare the body to food and water levels

Question 9

What is the thrifty genotype hypothesis?

Answer 9

Where the is a mismatch between the intrauterine environment the foetus and the external environment

Question 10

What is the overall effect of thrifty phenotype hypothesis?

Answer 10

Over compensation in glucose and insulin pathways so more susceptible to adult disease

Question 11

What is the underlying mechanism of change regarding a diet during pregnancy?

Answer 11

Methylation

Question 12

What does hypo and hypermethylation cause?

Answer 12

Hypo: high gene expression = more likely disease
Hyper: low gene expression = less likely disease

Question 13

What happens to telomere length as we age and what is it used for?

Answer 13

It gets shorter and is used to estimate cellular ageing

Question 14

What were the key findings from the Dutch hunger cohort?

Answer 14

Under nutrition led to diabetes
3 fold increase in CHD
Babies weighed 200-300g less

Question 15

What are the findings of FOAD regarding mental health?

Answer 15

Consists of adaptive and non adaptive changes from in UTERO cues

Question 16

What are the findings of FOAD regarding osteoporosis?

Answer 16

Skeletal size and density begins in embryogenesis

Link between pre mature birth and hip fracture

Question 17

What are the findings of FOAD regarding asthma?

Answer 17

Plasticity causes preparation for poor external conditions, more chance of disease in later life

Question 18

What are the findings of FOAD regarding cancer?

Answer 18

Formation of reactive oxygen species from multiple sources affect fetal development, raising disease risk