The Dutch Famine was one of the main historical events that spurred many studies on the trans-generational consequences of hunger. It happened in the winter of 1944 in the German-occupied part of the Netherlands. A German blockade had stopped any food and fuel from reaching the population in the Netherlands, and by the time the blockade was lifted, the canals where frozen. The fact that it was a particularly cold winter was one cause of the famine, but that area of the Netherlands had also become one of the main western battlefields which ended up damaging a significant amount of agricultural land.
So, from 1944 to 1955, a good portion of the population lived off of only 1,000 calories a day (often from things like tulip bulbs and other plants that weren't normally eaten). The normal caloric intake is around 2,000 calories a day, give or take some depending on one's level of activity. Because people in the Netherlands suffered from chronic hunger, their immune systems were compromised and they became more susceptible to diseases associated with malnutrition.
This period of time in the Netherlands became known as the Dutch Hunger Winter. There were many things that made the Dutch Hunger Winter very unique, and it was particularly interesting to scientists for a few different reasons: (1) the famine was enclosed within known boundaries; (2) the conditions were relatively constant throughout the populations of the rich and poor; (3) food rations were well-documented, and this allowed scientists to know what and how much everyone was eating; (4) scientists were able to follow up on individuals who survived the Dutch Hunger Winter so the longterm effects of hunger could be studied throughout multiple generations. Because the Dutch Hunger Winter was so well-documented, it spurred many studies on the trans-generational consequences of hunger.
Scientists used the information from the Dutch Hunger Winter to study something called fetal programming or prenatal programming. These studies examined the relationship between maternal malnutrition and the health of the fetus, specifically looking at the connections between maternal malnutrition, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
In a healthy pregnancy, the fetus is supplied with adequate nutrients from the mother to encourage fetal growth and development. (Many nutrients are needed, and most can come from a varied and balanced diet, but some examples are calcium, vitamin D, folate, iron, and many more.) If the mother is healthy and all goes well during pregnancy, the baby will likely be born on time and with a normal birth weight. However, if the mother is malnourished, essential nutrients are compromised and normal fetal development is altered. Because less nutrients are available to the fetus, it must adapt to survive under current conditions. Some of the studies done on the trans-generational effects of maternal malnutrition show that these adaptions make the fetus more prone to diseases later in life.
A researcher, David Barker, developed the Barker hypothesis which examines fetal growth and development. Barker states that fetal growth and development takes place during critical periods of development when rapid cell growth is occurring. When the fetus is lacking adequate amounts of essential nutrients, the rate of cell division decreases and leads to limited growth. Barker called this 'limited growth potential' or 'intrauterine growth restriction'. In addition to maternal malnutrition, intrauterine growth restriction is more likely to occur when the mother has a cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or problems with alcohol and drug abuse.
There are two type of intrauterine growth restrictions, symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical growth restrictions happen earlier on in development, but I ended up reading more about asymmetrical growth restrictions which affect the small abdomen and the organs in the abdomen. As a result of nutrients beings compromised, more energy goes into developing the brain and other important organs (like the heart, liver, and intestines) are neglected. Fetuses that have experienced asymmetric intrauterine growth restrictions are more likely to develop risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Developing risk factors is not the same as experiencing cardiovascular disease. Instead, it means that one may get type II diabetes or hypertension, which in turn makes them more susceptible to cardiovascular disease.
Problems during fetal development because of maternal malnutrition almost always result in low birth weight. A baby born with a significantly low birth weight could either have fetal growth problems or be born preterm (both would make the baby weigh much less at birth). If the baby is born preterm, more developmental problems can occur because the baby often has to 'play catch-up'. Playing catch-up forces the baby to develop faster and incompletely. Like the problems I mentioned previously, many aspects of development are compromised to certain body parts and functions. I found it particularly interesting to think about how the adaptations the fetus makes to survive in utero could work well in that specific environment, but they may not be beneficial after being born. For example, the metabolic system might be compromised in order to fully develop the brain, but obesity could become a dangerous problem later in life.
This last point is specifically important to my project because it shows how malnutrition and obesity can easily be linked together. Fetal programming is such a huge topic to cover because of how many factors there are to consider in development, but hopefully this gives some insight on some of the studies being done on the connection between maternal malnutrition and the chance of the fetus developing chronic diseases later in life.
If you find this topic interesting, there are more studies done that go a step further and try to connect chronic diseases and maternal malnutrition to stress levels (also quite interesting!).
In a healthy pregnancy, the fetus is supplied with adequate nutrients from the mother to encourage fetal growth and development. (Many nutrients are needed, and most can come from a varied and balanced diet, but some examples are calcium, vitamin D, folate, iron, and many more.) If the mother is healthy and all goes well during pregnancy, the baby will likely be born on time and with a normal birth weight. However, if the mother is malnourished, essential nutrients are compromised and normal fetal development is altered. Because less nutrients are available to the fetus, it must adapt to survive under current conditions. Some of the studies done on the trans-generational effects of maternal malnutrition show that these adaptions make the fetus more prone to diseases later in life.
A researcher, David Barker, developed the Barker hypothesis which examines fetal growth and development. Barker states that fetal growth and development takes place during critical periods of development when rapid cell growth is occurring. When the fetus is lacking adequate amounts of essential nutrients, the rate of cell division decreases and leads to limited growth. Barker called this 'limited growth potential' or 'intrauterine growth restriction'. In addition to maternal malnutrition, intrauterine growth restriction is more likely to occur when the mother has a cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or problems with alcohol and drug abuse.
There are two type of intrauterine growth restrictions, symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical growth restrictions happen earlier on in development, but I ended up reading more about asymmetrical growth restrictions which affect the small abdomen and the organs in the abdomen. As a result of nutrients beings compromised, more energy goes into developing the brain and other important organs (like the heart, liver, and intestines) are neglected. Fetuses that have experienced asymmetric intrauterine growth restrictions are more likely to develop risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Developing risk factors is not the same as experiencing cardiovascular disease. Instead, it means that one may get type II diabetes or hypertension, which in turn makes them more susceptible to cardiovascular disease.
Problems during fetal development because of maternal malnutrition almost always result in low birth weight. A baby born with a significantly low birth weight could either have fetal growth problems or be born preterm (both would make the baby weigh much less at birth). If the baby is born preterm, more developmental problems can occur because the baby often has to 'play catch-up'. Playing catch-up forces the baby to develop faster and incompletely. Like the problems I mentioned previously, many aspects of development are compromised to certain body parts and functions. I found it particularly interesting to think about how the adaptations the fetus makes to survive in utero could work well in that specific environment, but they may not be beneficial after being born. For example, the metabolic system might be compromised in order to fully develop the brain, but obesity could become a dangerous problem later in life.
This last point is specifically important to my project because it shows how malnutrition and obesity can easily be linked together. Fetal programming is such a huge topic to cover because of how many factors there are to consider in development, but hopefully this gives some insight on some of the studies being done on the connection between maternal malnutrition and the chance of the fetus developing chronic diseases later in life.
If you find this topic interesting, there are more studies done that go a step further and try to connect chronic diseases and maternal malnutrition to stress levels (also quite interesting!).
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