Cardiovascular Health Lecture 1.1 : Programming developmental disease risk

Question 1

What is considered a low birth weight?

Answer 1

Under 2.5kg

Question 2

What is low birth weight caused by in the Western world?

Answer 2

Uteroplacental insufficiency

Question 3

What is low birth weight caused by in the third world?

Answer 3

Malnutrition

Question 4

What is maternal disease?

Answer 4

Diseases affecting bloodflow to the placenta, can be genetic

Question 5

What percentage of babies does low birth weight affect?

Answer 5

10% of births are low weight

Question 6

By how many fold does pernatal fatality increase in low birth babbies?

Answer 6

2-3 fold increase

Question 7

What is the common feature of all low weight births, both first and third worlds?

Answer 7

Deficiency in nutrient transfer

Question 8

Which diseases are low weight babbies at increased risk of (name 4)?

Answer 8

Adult diseases such as diabetes, obesity, renal and cardiovascular diseases

Question 9

What happens when a foetus is exposed to a suboptimal environment, short term and long term? What is this called?

Answer 9

It causes short term adaptation, but long term susceptibility to future adult diseases. Called foetal programming.

Question 10

Are there sex specific differences in future disease risk in low weight babbies?

Answer 10

Yes, boys are at higher risk than girls in general.

Question 11

Is a low weight birth different to premature birth?

Answer 11

Yes, they are different.

Question 12

Do small babbies experience accelerated growth?

Answer 12

Yes, 90% of small babies habe accelerated growth.

Question 13

What is excessive late accelerated growth associated with?

Answer 13

Foestal programming.

Question 14

Is early growth good in small babies?

Answer 14

Yes.

Question 15

Is late growth good in small babbies?

Answer 15

No.

Question 16

What is the mother’s breast milk like when the baby is low weight, and why is this so?

Answer 16

It is lower quality to match it to the babby’s needs.

Question 17

Do lactation periods affect future disease risk?

Answer 17

Yes.

Question 18

What can be said of a low weight male baby’s nephron count?

Answer 18

They have 30% less.

Question 19

What happens to a low weight male baby’s blood pressure? Is this true of females?

Answer 19

Low weight males have high blood pressure, but females do not.

Question 20

What can be said of the pancreas in low weight births?

Answer 20

Deficient in pancreatic beta cells.

Question 21

How can the consequences of low weight birth be averted (name 2)? What period is critical?

Answer 21

Early action via exercise. Cross fostering prevents almost all deficiencies.
Post natal condition is critical.

Question 22

Can deficiencies and susceptibility to disease be transmitted to future generations in small males and females?

Answer 22

Little evidence in males but strong evidence for females.

Question 23

What happens when a small female becomes pregnant?

Answer 23

Develop many adverse conditions such as glucose intolerance.

Question 24

What exacerbates the pregnancy induced adverse conditions of small females?

Answer 24

A high fat diet.

Question 25

What effect does exercise have on glucose intolerance in pregnant women born small?

Answer 25

Decreases, possibly prevents it.