Poor fetal growth followed by rapid postnatal catch-up growth leads to premature death

It is widely accepted that individuals with a low birth weight are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. This risk is amplified if the poor fetal growth is followed by rapid postnatal catch-up growth. We have shown recently that poor fetal growth, resulting from maternal protein restriction, followed by postnatal catch-up growth is associated with reduced average longevity in mice. Here, we show that in addition to reduced average longevity, mice which have been growth restricted in utero and then grown rapidly during the lactation period have a reduced maximum longevity. Maximum longevity of these mice was, further, reduced when the animals were weaned onto an obesity-inducing cafeteria-style diet. This reduced maximum longevity was associated with early age-related weight loss. These results demonstrate that maternal nutrition during critical periods of development has a major impact on quantity as well as quality of life. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.