The impact of prenatal environment on postnatal life and performance: Future perspectives for prevention and treatment

• Published in: Theriogenology Vol. 150; pp. 15 - 19
• Main Authors: Gonzalez-Bulnes, A., Parraguez, V.H., Berlinguer, F., Barbero, A., Garcia-Contreras, C., Lopez-Tello, J., Pesantez-Pacheco, J.L., Martinez-Ros, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2020
• Subjects: Animal-models; Animals; Female; Fetal Development; Fetal Growth Retardation; IUGR; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - veterinary; Prenatal-programming; Translational-medicine; Veterinary-medicine; Translational-medicine; Veterinary-medicine; IUGR; Prenatal-programming; Animal-models
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.01.029

The present review aims to offer a non-comprehensive outline of the current state-of-the-art and future perspectives on management and therapeutic tools for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and associated prenatal programming in both human and animal species. Animals are used as models for the study of phenomena related to IUGR, but also for research on prenatal therapies with the main objective of designing and developing preventive and therapeutic strategies. The research is currently paying attention on maternal-focused pharmacological treatments and nutritional strategies but also on fetal-focused treatments. Fetal-focused treatments, administered either directly at the fetus or by using infusion of umbilical cord, amniotic sac or placenta, which avoids the administration of substances at high doses to the mother for allowing their availability at the fetoplacental level. The results obtained in this area of research using large animals (rabbits, pigs and ruminants) have a dual interest, for translational biomedicine and for veterinary medicine and animal production. •Animals are used as models for the study of IUGR processes and for research on prenatal therapies.•The current research is devoted to maternal-focused strategies but also to fetal-focused treatments.•Fetal treatments are administered either directly at the fetus or through umbilical cord, amniotic sac or placenta.•Fetal treatments avoid the administration of substances at high doses to the mother.