How Life Before Birth Affects Human Health and What We Can Do About It

摘要: In most Western countries, age reckoning starts with ‘‘zero,’’ so that twelve months after birth, a child is considered one year old. the traditional East Asian system, originating in China and still widely used some countries such as Korea, newborns start life outside womb at old (becoming two years on first day of subsequent lunar New Year’s day). This not only results interesting intercultural constellations – Korean baby born November 2014 might be older than Swiss December 2013 but also gently reminds us something else: Life to ‘‘count’’ well before birth. science, however, relevance birth for our health throughout has been largely neglected far too long. However, during past decades, numerous studies have pointed out (behaviorally relevant) adversities pregnancy risk factors offspring mental disorders, bodily processes, physical diseases (e.g., Barker & Thornburg, 2013; Dreier, Andersen, Berg-Beckhoff, 2014; Entringer et al., 2011; Tegethoff, Greene, Olsen, Schaffner, Meinlschmidt, 2012; Pryce, 2009; Raul, Van den Bergh, 2011). What merged under term ‘‘developmental origins disease’’ highly topical dynamic research field focusing fetal period development, aim elucidating relevant adversities, their costs development health, biological mechanisms involved relating intrauterine environment long-term results. While already extensively reviewed Beydoun Saftlas, 2008; Gluckman, Hanson, Low, Hertzman, Koletzko Luoto, Mottola, Hilakivi-Clarke, 2009), concise overviews protective promoting resilience, even more importantly interventions aimed modifying above-mentioned are hitherto lacking, few exceptions 2012). special issue European Psychologist intended contribution toward closing this gap. It repeatedly shown may impact developing fetus Dieter 2001; Hansen, Lou, 2000; Huttunen Niskanen, 1978; Khashan Meyer, 2010a, 2010b). As prominent example, study growth women who were pregnant time 9/11 terrorist attacks US indicated stressful experiences affect processes (Berkowitz 2003). Decades earlier, David colleagues from Southampton UK showed various low weight related an increased morbidity premature mortality (Barker, 2007). Based these findings, they formulated ‘‘fetal adult disease hypothesis’’ 1980s (later reframed (DOHAD) hypothesis), stating ‘‘undernutrition utero permanently changes body’s structure, physiology, metabolism, leads coronary heart stroke life’’ 1998, p. 13). They developed hypothesis based findings strong association Special Issue: Prenatal Adversity: Impact Potential Interventions