Can Maternal Diet have Multi-Generational Effects?

The interplay between intrinsic factors, such as genetics and epigenetics, and extrinsic maternal factors in early-life environment may greatly influence developmental processes which could result in abnormalities or predispose the individual to increased risks for certain disorders in adulthood. To date, the most consistent factor is maternal nutrition, which may influence the epigenome of the fetus during the prenatal and perinatal periods. Growing evidence suggests that developmental programming may be greatly modified by maternal diet, which can result in transgenerational effects.