Epidemiological evidence links an individual's susceptibility to chronic disease in adult life to
events during their intrauterine phase of development. Biologically this should not be …

Appropriate in utero growth is essential for offspring development and is a critical contributor
to long-term health. Fetal growth is largely dictated by the availability of nutrients in maternal …

Experimental studies that are relevant to human pregnancy rely on the selection of
appropriate animal models as an important element in experimental design. Consideration …

The placenta is the main determinant of fetal growth and development in utero. It supplies all
the nutrients and oxygen required for fetal growth and secretes hormones that facilitate …

An adverse early-life environment is associated with long-term disease consequences.
Adversity early in life is hypothesized to elicit developmental adaptations that serve to …

The production of spermatozoa relies on a pool of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), formed
in infancy from the differentiation of their precursor cells, the gonocytes. Throughout adult …

The placenta mediates maternal-fetal exchange and has historically been regarded as a
passive conduit for nutrients. However, emerging evidence suggests that the placenta …

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has been defined in several ways, but in general
describes a condition in which the fetus exhibits poor growth in utero. This complication of …

Nutrient-sensing signaling pathways regulate cell metabolism and growth in response to
altered nutrient levels and growth factor signaling. Because trophoblast cell metabolism and …

In developed societies, high‐sugar and high‐fat (HSHF) diets are now the norm and are
increasing the rates of maternal obesity during pregnancy. In pregnant rodents, these diets …