Nutrition and Development

This Task Force report reviews the evidence that the seeds of
many adult diseases are sown in utero and in infancy. The report,
written by experts in the field, summarises current knowledge in
this area. It illustrates how early life nutrition can bring about
changes in organ development and function, thus programming risk of
disease in adult life. It also considers what might be done in
early life to reduce the burden of future ill health.

Nutrition and Development: Short- and Long-Term Consequences
for Health includes chapters on the history of this topic area,
normal growth and development, and current recommendations and
practice in relation to nutrition and diet in early life. Chapters
exploring the possible mechanisms and pathways of critical windows
for development cover the effects of diet and nutrition in early
life on organ and skeletal development, the role of sex hormones in
programming disease susceptibility, the establishment of
gastrointestinal microbiota, and the impact of early life nutrition
on cognitive and neurological development.

This new report:

• describes how development occurs and explores how
  changes in the fetal and postnatal environment, such as over- or
  under-nutrition, can result in permanent alterations in
  function;

• explains how diet and nutrition in early life can
  affect risk of adult disease, with specific chapters on allergic
  disease and asthma, bone health, cancer, cardiovascular disease,
  cognitive function, diabetes and obesity;

• includes a summary of the key points, as well as
  recommendations in each chapter to help fill the gaps in our
  knowledge;

• provides an overview of the main messages in a
  practical question and answer format suitable for lay readers.

Nutrition and Development is an important information
resource for those involved in research and teaching in the health
sciences sector and is also of value to those involved in making
decisions about health policy. It will be of interest to a broad
range of health professionals, the food industry and those who
write and broadcast about the effects of food on health.

Auteur

The British Nutrition Foundation is a registered charity. It promotes the wellbeing of society through the impartial interpretation and effective dissemination of scientifically based knowledge and advice on the relationship between diet, physical activity and health.

Résumé
This Task Force report reviews the evidence that the seeds of many adult diseases are sown in utero and in infancy. The report, written by experts in the field, summarises current knowledge in this area. It illustrates how early life nutrition can bring about changes in organ development and function, thus programming risk of disease in adult life. It also considers what might be done in early life to reduce the burden of future ill health.

Nutrition and Development: Short- and Long-Term Consequences for Health includes chapters on the history of this topic area, normal growth and development, and current recommendations and practice in relation to nutrition and diet in early life. Chapters exploring the possible mechanisms and pathways of critical windows for development cover the effects of diet and nutrition in early life on organ and skeletal development, the role of sex hormones in programming disease susceptibility, the establishment of gastrointestinal microbiota, and the impact of early life nutrition on cognitive and neurological development.

This new report:

• describes how development occurs and explores how changes in the fetal and postnatal environment, such as over- or under-nutrition, can result in permanent alterations in function;
• explains how diet and nutrition in early life can affect risk of adult disease, with specific chapters on allergic disease and asthma, bone health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive function, diabetes and obesity;
• includes a summary of the key points, as well as recommendations in each chapter to help fill the gaps in our knowledge;
• provides an overview of the main messages in a practical question and answer format suitable for lay readers.

Nutrition and Development is an important information resource for those involved in research and teaching in the health sciences sector and is also of value to those involved in making decisions about health policy. It will be of interest to a broad range of health professionals, the food industry and those who write and broadcast about the effects of food on health.

Contenu

Foreword xv

Terms of Reference xvi

Task Force Membership xvii

1 Introduction to Early Life and Later Disease 1
Dr Siân Robinson

1.1 Environmental influences on development 1

1.2 Links between early life and adult disease 3

1.3 Biological mechanisms 7

1.4 Nutrition of mothers and children 8

1.5 Nutrition of young women today 11

1.6 Key points 11

1.7 Key references 12

2 Normal Growth and Development 13
Professor J. Harry McArdle, Dr Laura A. Wyness and Dr Lorraine Gambling

2.1 Introduction 13

2.2 Prenatal development 13

2.3 Embryo development 16

2.4 Fetal development 16

2.5 Fetal development overview 18

2.6 Birthweight 22

2.7 Postnatal growth and development 24

2.8 Growth monitoring (growth charts) 24

2.9 Secular growth trends 25

2.10 Canalisation, catch-up and catch-down growth 25

2.11 Key points 26

2.12 Recommendations for future research 27

2.13 Key references 27

3 Maternal Nutrition and Infant Feeding: Current Practice and Recommendations 28
Dr Alison M. Lennox, Professor Judith L. Buttriss and Helena J. Gibson-Moore

3.1 Introduction 28

3.2 Characteristics of pregnant women in the UK 28

3.3 Current practice and recommendations: pre-pregnancy 32

3.4 Current practice and recommendations: during pregnancy 35

3.5 Current practice and recommendations: lactation 41

3.6 Infant feeding: issues relating to evidence base 42

3.7 Current practice and recommendations: breastfeeding 43

3.8 Current practice and recommendations: formula feeding 50

3.9 Current practice and recommendations: weaning/complementary feeding 53

3.10 Allergy 67

3.11 Conclusions 68

3.12 Key points 69

3.13 Recommendations for future research 70

3.14 Key references 70

Appendix 3.1: Historical perspective on breastfeeding and artificial feeding 71

Breastfeeding 71

Artificial infant formula 73

4 Mechanisms and Pathways of Critical Windows of Development 75
Professor Harry J. McArdle and Dr Lorraine Gambling

4.1 Introduction 75

4.2 Embryo stages 75

4.3 Development of placenta 75

4.4 Nutritional programming: the effect of nutrition on fetal development 77

4.5 Potential mechanisms of nutritional programming 80

4.6 Conclusions 84

4.7 Key points 85

4.8 Recommendations for future research 85

4.9 Key references 85

5 Perinatal Effects of Sex Hormones in Programming of Susceptibility to Disease 86
Professor Richard M. Sharpe

5.1 Introduction 86

5.2 Timing of masculinisation and its body-wide effects 86

5.3 Disorders of masculinisation 87

5.4 Malefemale differences in disease risk: the potential role of perinatal androgens 88

5.5 Fetal growth, susceptibility to intrauterine growth restriction and its long-term consequences, including timing of puberty 88

5.6 Growth hormoneinsulin-like growth factor-I axis 90

5.7 Brain and behavioural effects 90

5.8 Sex differences in eating disorders, neuronal mechanisms and adipose tissue distribution 90

5.9 Cardiovascular disease/hypertension 92

5.10 Kidney disease/hypertension 92

5.11 The immune system 93

5.12 Lung development and disease risk 93

5.13 Effects of maternal diet/obesity and infant feeding choices…