[The intrauterine programming of adult and children's disesases].

ABSTRACT

The intrauterine programming hypothesis proposed that cardiovascular and metabolic disease originate through developmental plasticity and fetal adaptation arising from failure of the materno-placental supply of nutrients. The hypothesis is supported by experimental data in animals indicating that maternal nutrition can program long term effects on the offspring. The intrauterine conditions in which the fetus develops have an important role in regulating the function of its physiological systems later in life. Intrauterine programming of physiological systems occurs at the gene, cell, tissue, organ, and system levels and causes permanent structural and functional changes, which can lead to overt disease, particularly with increasing age. The physiological prevention of disease programming is discussing.