Sugar Rationing, Diabetes, and Developmental Origins

Research Brief

In the field of perinatalogy, the medical study of mothers and pre-born babies, a prevailing theory posits that conditions experienced by a child in utero can influence health outcomes later in life. More specifically, it states that in utero exposures can somehow alter the child’s physiology and make them susceptible to related conditions. Formally, this is referred to as the “Developmental Origins of Health and Disease” theory, or DOHaD for short.

When it comes to acute conditions that manifest during or shortly after gestation, there is an abundance of evidence. For example, if a baby does not receive enough folate while in utero, this significantly elevates risk for developing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Maternal consumption of alcohol or certain drugs may result in birth defects or premature birth. Even second-hand exposure to cigarette smoke can limit the baby’s ability to grow, resulting in lower birth weight. In each of these instances, the problems at birth can have a lasting impact on the baby’s body and future function. However, DOHaD’s premise is that an environmental “shock” to a child in utero permanently influences vulnerability to disease later in life, if not manifesting shortly after birth.

This was the premise behind a study titled, “Exposure to sugar rationing in the first 1000 days of life protected against chronic disease” published last month in Science. While study findings present an interesting picture between conditions of birth and future disease risk, does it provide supportive evidence for DOHaD’s claims? Does early exposure to sugar at birth really forecast a risk of chronic disease?