Nutrition During Pregnancy Is Extremely Important During Fetal Growth And Development

Epigenetics refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes on or off. These alterations do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells read genes. One common example of an epigenetic change is DNA methylation. DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group to part of the DNA molecule which prevents certain genes from being expressed. It should be noted that epigenetics is a fairly new subdivision in genetics and its importance in evolution and heritability is currently being developed and debated (Furrow 2011).

I’ve selected above indicators because they represent conditions relevant to both Mother and Child Health. Preterm birth: a newborn delivered before the 37 weeks of gestation is called preterm. Many vital organ developments like lungs and brain still are in process. Therefore, a birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy may impose a serious risk for newborn to have a life-long disability or even die during the first days of life. There are certain factors leading to preterm birth (CDC, 2014):

Instead they go through a process of change overtime, or sometimes they’re hereditary. While watching the video, the host Neil deGrasse Tyson stated that our epigenomes tend to change during crucial times in our lives such as puberty and pregnancy. While our mothers were carrying us in their wombs for 9 months, they were passing on these epigenomes that we may pass on to our children. “Just as the genome is passed along from parents to their offspring, the epigenome can also be inherited. The chemical tags found on the DNA and histones of eggs and sperm can be conveyed to the next generation” ("Epigenomics," 2012).

Preterm delivery and or low weight infants home both negative impacts on the babies, their families, communities and the nation. Babies born at preterm or low weight have increased the risk of death within the first year of life. Other complications, includes respiratory distress due to their underdeveloped

The first area to review is the previous weight of mothers at the time of their last menstruation. The weight of the mother prior to pregnancy provides insight to her previous health and the available calories the body has available prior to pregnancy. Proper weight gain during pregnancy is an important variable and for mothers who are already considered underweight weight gain is even more crucial for the baby. “The growing evidence of social and emotional problems for low birth weight children cannot be dismissed (Weiss, & et al., 2001).” Studies have shown that low birth weight impacts the child’s development over the years especially social and emotional growth of the child, including behavioral problems (Weiss, & et al., 2001).

ONE of biology’s hottest topics is epigenetics. The term itself covers a multitude of sins. Strictly speaking, it refers to the regulation of gene expression by the chemical modification of DNA, or of the histone proteins in which DNA is usually wrapped. This modification is either the addition of methyl groups (a carbon atom and three hydrogens) to the DNA or of acetyl groups (two carbons, three hydrogens and an oxygen) to the histones. Methylation switches genes off. Acetylation switches them on. Since, in a multicellular organism, different cells need different genes to be active, such regulation is vital.

The premature infants are vulnerable to the environment, because the earlier the birth, the more sensitive to diseases and complications. This is because the premature infant does not have the developmental capacity to endure environmental stresses the way a full term infant might (McGrath, et al., 2002). The difference is that preterm infants are born with underdeveloped organ systems. One system is the respiratory system, which does not full develop until the last weeks of pregnancy. This causes problems in respiration and breathing.

Epigenetic characteristics are the process by which your genetic information is changed by environmental influences without an alteration in DNA. Some epigenetic effects occur at the beginning of life as biochemical elements silence methylation, which is the ephemeral of the chemical fragment call methyl group. The details of methylation are not clear to biologist as they are still trying to figure out how it develops and why it modifies gene expression. One interesting discovery to developmentalist is that the known diseases to be genetic (including cancer, schizophrenia and autism) are known to be epigenetic. One example of epigenetics is histone modification, which is increasing or confiscating chemical groups to or from histones.

Although almost everything in the universe can be explained by science, there are a few things that go against scientific reasoning, one of these things is epigenetic inheritance. It was previously thought an offspring only received the DNA that its parents were born with, and the epigenetic tags ( DNA that has been changed due to the parents’ experiences in life) from its parents were left out of its genetic makeup. Epigenetic inheritance is the theory that epigenetic tags from the parents are passed down to the offspring, contributing to the genetic makeup. The fascinating part about epigenetic inheritance is that it is potentially the key to understanding evolution and preventing various congenital diseases.

One example of an epigenetic change in eukaryotic biology is the process of cellular differentiation. During morphogenesis, totipotent stem cells become the various pluripotent cell lines of the embryo, which in turn become fully differentiated cells. In other words, as a single fertilized egg cell – the zygote – continues to divide, the resulting daughter cells change into all the different cell types in an organism, including neurons, muscle cells, epithelium, endothelium of blood vessels, etc., by activating some genes while inhibiting the expression of others.

Epigenetics stems from the observation that genotypically identical cells can exhibit alternative and stably heritable phenotypes. These traits, along with the chromosomal mechanisms that produce them and ensure their propagation without alterations in the primary DNA sequence, are referred to as “epigenetic.”(7-9). Alternatively, regions in the genome where the epigenetic state varies and results in alternative phenotypes are referred to as “epialleles” (10).

Epigenetics can be hereditable or environmental factors that affect the expression of genes and lead to changes in gene expression. Unlike genetics, epigenetics does not only have to do with which genes are passed down to the offspring and the DNA sequence. The environmental conditions of the offspring’s parents impact the genes in their eggs and sperms by “switching on” certain genes and “switching of” others (Dowshen). Since the genes expression of the gametes are affect, the phenotypes of the offspring will change. Even in a person’s lifetime, environmental factors such as stress, chemical exposure, and diet can continue to impact gene expression through DNA methylation. During DNA methylation, a methyl group is randomly added to a 5-carbon cytosine ring, making 5-methylcytosine and these groups inhibit transcription. (Cheriyedath). Due the fact that transcription is not possible, the expressing of the genes in that section of the DNA strand will be suppressed. The attachment of the methyl group to DNA is not determined, which means that

Posterity of both under-and overnourished pregnancies are at higher danger of metabolic sickness in adulthood contrasted and reasonably supported posterity; in this manner, the connection between birth weight and these maladies is U-shaped.33– 37

Necessary dietary intake is very important during pregnancy; it can affect not only the mother but also the unborn baby. There are a couple of factors that play a huge role when the levels are abnormal. Dietary intake and psychological distress are two major components that make up a healthy pregnancy. In some parts of the world pregnant women do not get adequate micronutrients and macronutrients. Not only is this an increasing risk of necessary dietary intake and psychological distress but this can be the reason why stressors occur in the first place. Not having resources for pregnant women who are low in social economic status could be the reason why there are health issues among pregnant women.

While some women who received no prenatal care had normal, uncomplicated births, others did not. Most of the women who did not receive adequate prenatal care gave birth to an underweight and underdeveloped infant. Among the benefits of early, comprehensive prenatal care are decreased risk of preterm deliveries and low birth weight (LBW)-both major predictors of infant morbidity and mortality. (Dixon, Cobb, Clarke, 2000). Preterm deliveries, deliveries prior to 37 weeks of gestation, have risen. Since the studies in 1987, which showed the rate of preterm deliveries as 6.9% of births, the 1997 rate shows an increase to 7.5%. Low birth weight, defined as an infant weighing less than 2500 grams (5lbs. 5oz) is often preceded by preterm delivery. Low