Exposure to famine in utero can have a lifelong impact on the risk of catching infectious diseases, according to a study investigating the repercussions of a major food crisis in mid-twentieth century China.

The research into the Great Chinese Famine, which lasted from around 1958 to 1962, also showed that this vulnerability passed down through generations.

The findings demonstrate the lifelong effects of prenatal famine exposure on the body and suggest adequate prenatal nutrition could reduce the burden of infectious diseases through generations.

“Our study highlights the long-term and intergenerational impacts of large-scale societal shocks that may threaten food security on the risks of infectious diseases,” the researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of S

See Full Page