The fetal origins hypothesis, developed by
David Barker,1 proposes that when nutritional
intake of a fetus is limited, the body’s physiology
and metabolism are changed fundamentally, and
some of the consequences of these changes
become apparent much later in life. Health
insults in utero may lead to greater physiological
deterioration of metabolic and immune systems.
Early-life health may influence a broad range
of subsequent disease risks over the life cycle.
Over the past 2 decades, a voluminous empirical
literature has documented associations between
early-life health outcomes––most often, but
not exclusively, low birth weight––and adult
mortality and disease onset.1---5 The fetal origins
hypothesis provides an explanation of why there
may be important interactions between parental
health status and parental economic status in
their children’s subsequent risk of onset of
disease in adulthood.