Adelaide, Australia
October 10, 2004
The Fetal Origins of Adult Disease hypothesis, first proposed by David Barker well over a decade ago, has now reached general acceptance throughout the medical world. There are an increasing number of medical conditions that reportedly are influenced by retarded fetal development in utero, resulting in fetal programming for a life in an energy-sparse environment.
The aim of this symposium was to introduce the area of fetal programming and our understanding of what manipulations to the early environment encountered by the egg and/or embryo may lead to adverse programming phenotypes. Mechanisms to how very early fetal programming can occur, such as epigenetic gene regulation and inheritance was also discussed. Finally, the impact of human ART on fetal development and possible outcomes was addressed.
OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this programme, the participant was able to:
- Describe the concept of fetal and neo-natal programming of adult health
- Evaluate the evidence in animal models researching the effect of the pre- and peri-conceptual environment, including in vitro culture environments, on fetal programming
- Evaluate the evidence suggesting that fetal programming occurs following in vitro manipulation of human gametes and embryos
- Understand what approaches are being investigated to minimise the impact of adverse fetal programming
This symposium was approved by:
- RANZCOG as a RANZCOG Approved O&G Meeting and eligible Fellows of this College will earn 8 CPD points for attendance
- RACP for registrants to claim points based on their hours of participation through their MOPS program (self-reporting program)
