A GP guide to environmental impacts on pregnancy
The impact of environmental exposure in pregnancy and early life on long-term health outcomes is complex but slowly being understood
There is growing awareness of the importance of the first 1000 days, the period from conception to the end of the second year of life, when the developing human is exquisitely sensitive to their environment.
During this period, exposure of the fetus or infant to stress, poor nutrition or environmental toxins can result in permanent changes to organ structure and/or function, resulting in increased susceptibility to disease over the lifespan.
