Early nutritional programming and progeny performance: Is reproductive success already set at birth?

Abstract

• Maternal nutrition during gestation influences the development and function of many biological systems in offspring. • There is evidence to show that both maternal undernutrition and overnutrition during gestation are detrimental to the reproductive development of offspring and that the effects are permanent after birth and visible in adulthood. • These long-term effects may impair reproductive efficiency in the offspring; hence, nutrition during the entire gestation should be carefully managed to improve fertility.