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Journal Article 2008; 29(6): 807-814 PubMed PMID: 19112406 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Central Nervous System:embryology, Female, Fetal Development, Fetus:physiology, Gestational Age, Humans, Neural Pathways:embryology, Pain:physiopathology, Pain Threshold:physiology, Perception:physiology, Pregnancy, Rats,.   

: The fetus reacts to nociceptive stimulations through different motor, autonomic, vegetative, hormonal, and metabolic changes relatively early in the gestation period. With respect to the fact that the modulatory system does not yet exist, the first reactions are purely reflexive and without connection to the type of stimulus. While the fetal nervous system is able to react through protective reflexes to potentially harmful stimuli, there is no accurate evidence concerning pain sensations in this early period. Cortical processes occur only after thalamocortical connections and pathways have been completed at the 26th gestational week. Harmful (painful) stimuli, especially in fetuses have an adverse effect on the development of humans regardless of the processes in brain. Moreover, pain activates a number of subcortical mechanisms and a wide spectrum of stress responses influence the maturation of thalamocortical pathways and other cortical activation which are very important in pain processing....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(5): 620-626 PubMed PMID: 18987584 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Animals, Chronic Disease:epidemiology, Environment, Female, Fetal Development:genetics, Fetus:physiology, Humans, Pregnancy, Young Adult,.   

: Foetal growth from conception to birth is a complex process predetermined by the genetic configuration of the foetus, the availability of nutrients and oxygen to the foetus, maternal nutrition and various growth factors and hormones of maternal, foetal and placental origin. Maintenance of the optimal foetal environment is the key factor of the future quality of life. Such conditions like inadequate nutrition and oxygen supply, infection, hypertension, gestational diabetes or drug abuse by the mother, expose the foetus to nonphysiological environment. In conditions of severe intrauterine deprivation, there is a potential loss of structural units within the developing organ systems affecting their functionality and efficiency. Extensive human epidemiologic and animal model data indicate that during critical periods of prenatal and postnatal mammalian development, nutrition and other environmental stimuli influence developmental pathways and thereby induce permanent changes in metabolism and chronic disease susceptibility. The studies reviewed in this article show how environmental factors influence a diverse array of molecular mechanisms and consequently alter disease risk including diseases such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, neuropsychiatric disorders, osteoporosis, asthma and immune system diseases....

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Case Reports 2004; 25(Suppl 1): 117-125 PubMed PMID: 15735594 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Birth Weight, Brain:physiology, Case-Control Studies, Disease:psychology, Female, Fetus:physiology, Hormones:physiology, Humans, Infant, Low Birth Weight, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature, Medical Records, Models, Biological, Models, Psychologica.   

: The long term impact of being born premature has received limited scientific investigation. Studies that have been carried out, focus on outcomes in childhood, with very few considering the impact on adult physical health. Three case studies are presented here, investigating differences in adult minor illness and psychological variables between adult participants born preterm, fullterm but small and fullterm with normal birthweight. This is a retrospective design using questionnaires and checklist to gather relevant information. Minor illness symptoms, daily hassles, anxiety, depression and general self-efficacy were measured. The participant born preterm scored higher on all measures. Data were applied to the Equilibrium Model for Minor Illness. Being born early appears to have a greater impact on later adult outcomes measured than being born fullterm but small or fullterm but of normal weight. In this article the authors reflect upon possible explanations for the different outcomes of each of the participants within the foetal origins of disease theory....

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