Did you know the most important time for establishing chronic disease risk isn’t during midlife as we indulge more and move less? It’s actually from conception through age two. This period is known as the first 1,000 days, and it’s when the seeds for chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease are planted. However, the environment into which we are born and mature determines whether these seeds will take root and grow. In the womb, a developing baby that has access to an abundance of good nutrition will grow accordingly. However, a developing baby that does not have access to an abundance of good nutrition will chart a slower growth path – one that prioritizes the development of critical organs like the brain and heart, while skimping on others, like the kidneys. These are called developmental trade- offs, and they affect how robustly the baby’s body is built. They can also affect which genes are turned on or off, silencing health-promoting genes and causing detrimental genes to be expressed. The long-term health implications may not be evident at birth, but as these children age, they will be more likely to develop chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease as adults.

 

 

Birthweight is a marker for later life chronic disease risk because it indicates how a baby grew and developed before birth. A newborn weighing less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds, is considered to be low birthweight. In Klamath County, about 8% of babies fall into this category. Statewide, only about 6% of babies are considered low birthweight. This puts Klamath among the counties with the highest rates of low birthweight babies born in Oregon. Along with nutrition, toxic stress experienced during pregnancy can affect the growth of the developing baby. When a pregnant person experiences chronic, long-term stressors like poverty, homelessness, abuse or racism it can slow the growth of the developing baby. Too often these stresses are experienced together with poor nutrition, compounding the effects.

 

This research is the foundation for a field of science known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, or DOHaD. It aims to understand the biology behind how the first 1,000 days influences later life and how to mitigate the associated health risks. Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is a worldwide leader in this research and is paving the way in translating this work to improve the health of all Oregonians. “A less than ideal start in life doesn’t doom us to a life of disease,” said Kent Thornburg, Ph.D., Director of the OHSU Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness. “In fact, the community around us helps determine whether this initial risk takes root and grows over time.” In other words, if we are surrounded by nutritious foods and healthy opportunities this initial risk remains just that, only risk, not reality. 

 

The Klamath hub decided to tackle their county’s rate of low birthweight babies with a goal of reducing it to 5% by 2030. They’ve begun by developing some simple communication tools for health care providers and organizations that work with women of childbearing age. They want to ensure that these groups are talking to their patients about the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and in early life. Their next step is to get information directly into the hands of these women.

 

While mothers provide the environment for the developing baby, the community in which the mother lives provides the environment for the mother.  She is experiencing the same food system, the same environmental pollutants, and the same rates of poverty, employment and education as everyone else.

 

experiencing the same food system, the same environmental pollutants, and the same rates of poverty, employment and education as everyone else.