Introduction

It is clear that intrauterine undernutrition and subsequent low birth weight result in significant health problems during adult life. These include obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and Type 2 diabetes. Evidence for a relationship between early postnatal nutrition and the subsequent development of allergies, immune dysfunction, and autoimmune disorders such as Type 1 diabetes, is beginning to accumulate. Numerous questions about the effects of early postnatal nutrition on subsequent short as well as long-term health have been raised: What happens to infants born prematurely who are subjected to postnatal undernutrition for a “critical period” of rapid growth and development? Are these infants, if born appropriate for gestational age and subjected to nutritional stresses “programmed” for a greater susceptibility to chronic diseases such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, as are undernourished fetuses? Does it matter what infants are fed in terms of development of chronic diseases related to autoimmunity, such as Type 1 diabetes and asthma? Can under or overexposure to certain nutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids or proteins in early life have an effect on the development of chronic disease and can these effects be passed on to subsequent generations? In this chapter, we note that there are several remarkable similarities and differences between the chronic effects of pre- versus postnatal undernutrition. Some of the health consequences of early postnatal malnutrition and hypothetical mechanisms by which early nutrition “programs” the individual for long-term outcomes will be addressed.