Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Oct;26(5):655-65. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2012.03.006. Epub 2012 May 22.
The prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is rising in developing countries. The extent to which this is due to a nutritional mismatch in foetal and adult life is unknown however, studies in such countries show that the risk of chronic diseases is increased in low birthweight subjects who become obese adults. Immune dysfunction is also linked to low birthweight. Therefore, in countries where communicable diseases are prevalent, infection may be exacerbated by factors acting in utero. It is also possible that the foetal growth-retarding effects of maternal Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and malaria infection may contribute to an increased risk of NCDs later in life. Low birthweight and postnatal growth faltering followed by rapid weight gain define subjects who develop NCDs. Dietary interventions at specific time points in the life course may therefore be important for reducing disease risk.
发展中国家的非传染性疾病（NCDs）患病率正在上升。然而，目前尚不清楚这种情况在多大程度上是由于胎儿和成人生活中的营养不匹配造成的。在这些国家的研究表明，在成为肥胖成年人的低出生体重者中，慢性疾病的风险会增加。免疫功能障碍也与低出生体重有关。因此，在传染病流行的国家，宫内的因素可能会加剧感染。此外，母亲人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）和疟疾感染的胎儿生长迟缓效应也可能导致以后生活中 NCDs 的风险增加。低出生体重和出生后生长迟缓，随后体重迅速增加，定义了发生 NCDs 的人群。因此，在生命过程中的特定时间点进行饮食干预对于降低疾病风险可能非常重要。
