How does unborn baby get food

An infant born with a low-birthweight has presumably developed more slowly in the womb. He hypothesizes that a malnourished fetus adapts its metabolism to a low-nutrient environment in the womb. If that infant is then exposed to an environment of caloric excess during childhood, as is the case in many developed countries, excess nutrients are stored as fat instead of muscle, and this altered body composition can eventually lead to obesity and insulin resistance in adulthood.

The notion that prenatal nutrition could be linked to adult health, dubbed the developmental origins of disease theory, was astounding to the medical and research community at the time. There were many skeptics of his early research, but further studies have continued to show this pattern of birthweight being correlated with adult metabolic disease.

Last month at the Society for Reproductive Science conference in Pittsburg, PA, new research proposed some explanations for how prenatal nutrition might influence adult health, and highlighted the role of prenatal nutrition at even the very early stages of pregnancy. Researchers are finding that nutrition for the blastocyst and even the single-celled zygote may be especially critical. A group of scientists led by Kelle Moley from Washington University has discovered that in mouse studies, the nutritional environment at the zygote stage can produce long-term effects in the developing fetus.

The researchers transferred single-celled zygotes from diabetic mice into non-diabetic mice. They found that, compared to normal mice, the zygotes from the diabetic mice had higher rates of growth defects later in fetal development, including neural tube defects, heart defects, and limb deformities.

Because the embryos were transferred at the zygote stage, this suggests that maternal nutrition even before this point is important for the health of the offspring.

Another scientist, Tom Fleming from the University of Southampton, presented a mouse study displaying the so-called thrifty phenotype. His team fed mice a low-protein diet during the stages before implantation, followed by normal nutrition for the rest of gestation and postnatally.

Mice that were fed a diet low in protein had offspring that were heavier than the controls and showed signs of cardiovascular abnormalities and hypertension as adult mice. The zygote and blastocyst seem to sense a low-nutrient environment, so they boost metabolism to collect as many nutrients as possible during pregnancy, presumably to compensate for the potentially low-nutrient environment outside the womb. After the mice are born, they still show this type of metabolism that promotes nutrient storage in the form of fat.

Preliminary research shows that offspring of obese mothers tend to show insulin resistance and have decreased functioning of the pancreas: their pancreases produce lower amounts of several hormones necessary for metabolism. These offspring also had higher rates of developmental anomalies similar to those of diabetic mothers such as neural tube defects, abnormalities in the functioning of arteries, and increased susceptibility to high blood pressure.

But exactly how, at the molecular level, are these changes mediated? One potential mechanism by which nutrients can influence metabolism is through changes in gene expression, or the amount or type of protein made from a particular gene. Umbilical Cord : A rope-like cord connecting the baby to the placenta.

The umbilical cord contains two arteries and a vein that carry oxygen and nutrients to the fetus and waste products away from the baby. Uterus also called the womb : The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman's lower abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum, that sheds its lining each month during menstruation. When a fertilized egg ovum becomes implanted in the uterus, the baby develops there.

Vagina : The part of the female genitals, behind the bladder and in front of the rectum, that forms a canal extending from the uterus to the vulva. Also called the birth canal. Understanding Your Unborn Baby Your body is going through a lot during pregnancy, but your baby is growing and changing even more. Glossary Amniotic Sac : A thin-walled sac that surrounds the baby during pregnancy. Fertilization : Joining of the egg and sperm. Uterine Wall : The wall of the uterus.

Month 7 The eyes can open and close and sense changes in light. Lanugo the soft, fine hair that covers a fetus begins to disappear. By around week 16 , these taste pores will have developed. By now, your baby will also have started swallowing amniotic fluid. As the fluid flows across his tongue on the way to his digestive system, molecules in the fluid will interact with the taste buds, and your baby will experience his first taste: salty amniotic fluid. The amount of amniotic fluid he swallows — and the number of tastes he has exposure to — will keep increasing through the second and third trimesters.

It's not only vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins, but also some of the molecules that give foods their particular tastes. But even with this blunted sense of taste, your baby will start to recognize foods. The foods you eat during pregnancy may influence the foods that your baby will like for years to come. Giving the babies prenatal or early postnatal exposure via breastfeeding to carrot juice enhanced their enjoyment of that flavor, one study found.

So what flavors should you expose your baby to during pregnancy? Aim to eat a balanced and varied diet , and choose fresh fruits and vegetables over processed snacks. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.

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