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Cited by 1,137Birth, Development, and HealthPrenatal Substance Exposure EffectsPregnancy and preeclampsia studies

The Dutch Famine and Its Long-Term Consequences for Adult Health

Roseboom, Tessa, de Rooij, Susanne, Painter, Rebecca·2006·Early Human Development
DOI 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2006.07.001
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Abstract

Small size at birth is linked with an increased risk of chronic diseases in later life. Poor maternal nutrition during gestation may contribute to restricted fetal growth, leading to increased disease susceptibility in later life. Animal studies have shown that undernutrition during gestation is associated with reduced life span and increased disease susceptibility. The Dutch famine is a unique counterpart for animal models that study the effects of restricted maternal nutrition during different stages of gestation. This paper describes the findings from a cohort study of 2414 people born around the time of the Dutch famine. Exposure to famine during any stage of gestation was associated with glucose intolerance. We found more coronary heart disease, a more atherogenic lipid profile, disturbed blood coagulation, increased stress responsiveness and more obesity among those exposed to famine in early gestation. Women exposed to famine in early gestation also had an increased risk of breast cancer. People exposed to famine in mid gestation had more microalbuminuria and obstructive airways disease. These findings show that maternal undernutrition during gestation has important effects on health in later life, but that the effects on health depend on its timing during gestation. Especially early gestation seems to be a vulnerable period. Adequate dietary advice to women before and during pregnancy seems a promising strategy in preventing chronic diseases in future generations.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2006.07.001

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  • Individuals whose gestation coincided with the Dutch Famine exhibited increased susceptibility to obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

    “Individuals whose gestation coincided with the famine exhibited increased susceptibility to obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood, strongly implicating fetal adaptive responses to nutrient scarcity in shaping lifelong disease risk [10,11].”

    From Maternal Overnutrition and Fetal Programming: Long-Term Metabolic, Cognitive, and Epigenetic Consequences (2026) · cites this paper as [11]

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Authors
Roseboom, T., de Rooij, S., & Painter, R.
Affiliations
Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
Corresponding author
Roseboom, Tessa
ORCID
Venue
Early Human Development
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2006-08
Volume
82
Issue
8
Pages
485-491
ISSN
0378-3782 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2006.07.001
OpenAlex
W2148195572
Cited by
1,137
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 35 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 90 · 2021: 66 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 102 · 2018: 72 · 2017: 77 · 2016: 63 · 2015: 69 · 2014: 65 · 2013: 58 · 2012: 58
FWCI
14.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Early Human Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
Keywords
Dutch famine, fetal programming, maternal undernutrition, prenatal exposure, fetal growth restriction, impaired glucose tolerance, coronary artery disease, atherogenic lipid profile, coagulation, stress responsiveness, obesity, breast cancer, microalbuminuria, obstructive airway disease, chronic disease risk
MeSH terms
Birth Certificates, Blood Pressure, Breast Neoplasms, Coronary Disease, Disease, Female, Glucose Tolerance Test, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Kidney Function Tests, Male, Middle Aged, Netherlands, Obesity, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Starvation, Cohort Studies, Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena

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