Commentary: The impact of fetal and infant exposures along the life course

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Abstract
What happens in the womb sets the stage for development of the child and influences the health of offspring throughout their life course. Until recently, however, most epidemiologists focusing on adult diseases paid little attention to fetal origins of health. Due in part to tantalizing reports that birthweight is associated with health outcomes in both children and adults, that has changed. In this recent surge of interest, the best documented finding for adults is that lower birthweight predicts higher risk of cardiovascular disease.1,2 A smaller but growing literature reports intriguing findings for numerous other domains of child and adult health, for example, higher birthweight has been related to an increased risk of breast and other cancers.1 Especially relevant to the papers in this issue of the Journal are recent findings suggesting that the relation of neurocognitive development to birthweight goes beyond low birthweight and well into the normal birthweight range. The few available reports on birthweight and health in developing countries, including two in this issue, find similar relationships.