Azad - DOHaD

So DOHaD refers to the developmental origins of health and disease. Initially it was called fetal origins of health and disease. So really focusing on that fetal period. But over time, that hypothesis has evolved to include the developmental period, the first couple of years of life. 

Often we talk about the first thousand days starting not from the day you are born, but the day you are conceived, so including pregnancy and then to the second birthday. And that’s a really important period of development for all body systems, from the brain to the immune system to metabolism. And so when we think about the developmental origins of health and disease, we think about those early developmental periods and the fact that what’s going on then is going to have a long term impact. And then what experiences during those first thousand days are impacting the development of these important body systems. 

So in my case, I’m very interested in nutritional exposures, both what the mom is eating during pregnancy and then what baby is being fed during those first two years of life. We focus a lot on breast milk, but I’ve also done some research, for example, on artificial sweeteners. So looking at mothers and their intake of these products during pregnancy and how that might impact their own microbiome, which is then passed on to their babies, or it might also affect taste preferences. So there’s really interesting research about babies and how they develop their taste preferences, which then is kind of ingrained for life and how this might start as early as in utero. So if you don’t want a baby to have a sweet tooth, maybe don’t eat too many sweet things during that important early period that extends into lactation and breastfeeding as well. Because what mom’s eating, a certain component of that is ending up in her breast milk. 

But certainly others research environmental exposures during the developmental period. So whether it’s air quality pollution in the air that mom is breathing in or baby during important periods of lung development or toxic chemicals in furniture or foods. 

So there are many different domains and layers to the DOHaD hypothesis. But really it’s this idea that what happens to you very early on can have a long term impact because of those important developmental processes going on early in life.