Fetal Programming

Fetal Programming: The Connection between Nutrition and Disease is a novel resource on the intestinal microbiota of a newborn, how it is extremely prone to changes influenced by the method of delivery, diet, use of antibiotics and probiotics by the mother, environment, socioeconomic status of the mother, geographical location, infections with pathogenic microorganisms, and many other factors. All of these factors can lead to dysbiosis, which creates predispositions for the development of disease from childhood to adulthood. This period of the newborn’s life could be crucial for interventions on the intestinal microbiota in order to reduce the risks of developing chronic diseases by correcting dysbiosis. The book describes the root of all disease-- oxidative stress and improper nutrition, and how it specifically effects a woman during pregnancy at a time when oxidative stress naturally increases. In recent years, it has become more and more evident that nutrition is crucial for the proper development of the immune system of the fetus, and its disruption leads to disease due to improper nutrition during pregnancy.