Measuring the Impact of Your Prenatal Decisions: A Look at FOAD
This is where we break down how your personal health choices affect your children into their adulthood.
Remember those precious moments when your little one was snugly nestled inside your belly? You were either absolutely thriving or praying you’d make it through the end of the day (let’s be honest, there is no in between). Let me just acknowledge how miraculous it is that we grow humans inside of us and we don’t even have to think about it! Our bodies instinctively know what to do—no detailed instructions needed. Our placenta, that unsung hero, quietly goes about its business, ensuring life's beautiful journey unfolds as it should.
While we might not be responsible for the actual baby-making process, we are responsible for providing our bodies with the tools they need to craft a healthy baby. What's even more astonishing is that the choices we make during pregnancy (the tools we provide for the baby-making process) don't just impact those nine months; they can resonate throughout our child's entire life. Yes, all the way into adulthood!
More people should be talking about Fetal Origins of Adult Disease (FOAD). Simply put, FOAD explores the intriguing link between your baby's fetal health and their well-being as a grown adult. This concept first developed from inquiries into the origins of heart disease. What researchers discovered was groundbreaking—a connection between prenatal nutrition/health and heart health in adulthood. Do you know the current #1 cause of death in the USA? Heart Disease.
Fast forward to today, now we're witnessing a growing body of evidence linking prenatal malnutrition to a range of chronic adult illnesses: Cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases (yes, even type 2 diabetes), mental health (including mood and cognitive disorders!), bone health, to name a few. As mothers, we hold the power to shape the health span of our children's lives, even while they are in our womb. It's a beautiful and empowering thought.
I want to get into just a bit more detail to explore how we, as expectant mothers, can contribute to a lifetime of well-being for our little ones. FOAD suggests that specific periods during pregnancy and early childhood are critical for the development of various organs and systems, and disruptions during these times can have lasting effects. Environmental factors, like maternal nutrition, stress, and exposure to toxins during pregnancy, can "program" the developing fetus, affecting its physiology and long-term health. There are a few different mechanisms involved in this:
Epigenetic Changes: FOAD may involve changes in gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, which can be influenced by prenatal factors.
Altered Organ Development: Nutritional deficiencies or excesses during pregnancy can affect the development of vital organs like the heart, liver, and pancreas.
Programming of Metabolism: FOAD often results in metabolic changes, affecting how the body processes and stores energy.
If you’ve read this far, you should have a better understanding of just how crucial it is for our children that we make good health-promoting decisions while we are pregnant. Well, I have good news! Two (big) factors that will have a lasting impact and set your baby up for a healthy future will also improve your personal health. A 2-for-1! And I’m sure you can guess these two factors: exercise and nutrition. If you want to get into the fascinating world of how your exercise (or lack thereof) affects your baby, read this article.
And I’ll leave it at that. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or are ready to start creating generational health.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3434434/
https://jcp.bmj.com/content/53/11/822
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8360883/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8437270/