BACKGROUND The placenta is the functional interface between the mother and the fetus
during pregnancy, and a critical determinant of fetal growth and life-long health. In the first …

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

Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions and imposes major negative health crises and an
economic burden in both high and low income countries. The multifaceted nature of obesity …

The maternal diet during pregnancy is a key determinant of offspring health. Early studies
have linked poor maternal nutrition during gestation with a propensity for the development of …

Increasing evidence suggests that fetal programming through environmental exposure
during a critical window of early life leads to long-term detrimental outcomes, by so-called …

At birth, weight of the neonate is used as a marker of the 9-month journey as a fetus. Those
neonates born less than the 10th centile for their gestational age are at risk of being …

Key points Maternal obesity predisposes to metabolic dysfunction in male and female
offspring Maternal high‐fat diet consumption prior to and throughout pregnancy and …

Maternal stress and glucocorticoid exposure during pregnancy have multigenerational
effects on neuroendocrine function and behaviours in offspring. Importantly, effects are …

The results of different human epidemiological datasets provided the impetus to introduce
the now commonly accepted theory coined as 'developmental programming', whereby the …

The placenta provides the vital nutrients and removal of waste products required for fetal
growth and development. Understanding and quantifying the differences in structure and …