Early-life prevention of non-communicable diseases

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 381; no. 9860; pp. 3 - 4
• Main Authors: Balbus, John M, Barouki, Robert, Birnbaum, Linda S, Etzel, Ruth A, Gluckman, Peter D, Grandjean, Philippe, Hancock, Christine, Hanson, Mark A, Heindel, Jerrold J, Hoffman, Kate, Jensen, Génon K, Keeling, Ann, Neira, Maria, Rabadán-Diehl, Cristina, Ralston, Johanna, Tang, Kwok-Cho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 05.01.2013; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Air pollution; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Cell division; Chloroform; Contaminants; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus - prevention & control; Disease prevention; DNA methylation; Drinking water; Environmental health; Environmental Pollutants - adverse effects; Epigenesis, Genetic; Epigenetics; Female; Health sciences; Humans; Internal Medicine; Low income groups; Maternal & child health; Metabolic disorders; Neoplasms - prevention & control; Nutrition; Persistent organic pollutants; Pesticides; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Public health; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - prevention & control; Trihalomethanes
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61609-2

Epigenetic modifications are stable during cell division and can be transmitted transgenerationally.6 An increasing amount of evidence suggests that developmental exposure to nutritional imbalance or environmental contaminants--including metals, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and chemicals in drinking water, such as triethyltin, chloroform, and trihalomethanes--can affect epigenetic changes, thus suggesting a mechanism for their effects on adult health.7,8 Similarly, prenatal exposure to air pollutants has been associated with epigenetic changes and subsequent effects on children's respiratory health.9 Nyani Quarmyne/Panos Knowledge that in-utero and early childhood experiences affect the risk of NCD development provides an opportunity to target interventions at the time when they have the greatest effect. Because these exposures are not controlled directly by the individual, especially when the exposures might have occurred to the individual's parents or grandparents, early-life interventions can reduce the perception of blame that the individual's own lifestyle has caused his or her disease.