The transgenerational effects of prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine –neonatal adiposity and adult obesity. Would epigenetic changes express to next generation?

The Dutch famine occurred in the Western Netherland during year 1944~1945, which was the end of World War II. Over this period, around 18000 people died in this famine. Scientists found out the children whose mothers were exposed to the famine during pregnancy were lighter and shorter than those whose mother did not suffer from the famine. But what's the influence of Dutch famine on these famine-exposed children?

Experiments indicate environment could induce the change of human health traits, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or other diseases, without changing human genome. By doing historical cohort studies of Dutch famine, evidence shows the prenatal exposure to famine increase the chronic disease in not only next generation but also the subsequent generation.

The mystery of epigenetics is not yet well understood. However, there is one hypothesis which could explain the link between environmental contribution (famine) and health trait change (obesity and diabetes) - the thrifty epigenotype hypothesis.


Hui-wen Lin

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