Perinatal lipid nutrition

Perinatal nutrition has long-term implications for neonates. Molecular and cellular pathways initiated during this period in which the fetal supply comes from the mother have the potential to generate lifelong phenotypic changes to infants. Dis-nutrition, either by a high caloric load or by deficiency of essential nutrients is associated with an increased risk of baby and adult-onset diseases. Essential fatty acid deficiency during early brain development has deleterious permanent effects later in life. Maternal obesity, as a disease, has direct negative influence on the fetal development. Beyond the existing differences between human and animals, the basic tissue, physiological and morphological placental developments are conserved between species. Therefore, animal models and a nutrigenetic approach in research are helpful when evaluating the impact of nutritional lipids and fatty acids on development, their epigenetic impact and their long-term influence on the offspring’s health and disease.