Influence of Maternal Diet and Environmental Factors on Fetal Development
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 August 2024 | Viewed by 2834
Special Issue Editor
Interests: lipids and brain development; fatty acid uptake system in human placenta; angiogenesis; feto-placental growth and development; DHA and cell growth and proliferation; lipid nutrition; eicosanoids; cardiovascular health; platelet function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
A maternal diet can affect fetal development. During pregnancy, the composition of the maternal gut microbiota, and changes to that composition, has significant consequences for fetal development and adult health. A complex association between early gut microbiota composition and its long-term effects on adult health issues has been reported. Many factors, such as maternal diet, BMI, weight gain during pregnancy, metabolic diseases, ethnicity, and geographic and environmental factors, modulate the maternal–fetal microbiota. The maternal commensal microbes or their products are transferred to the fetus through the placenta in utero and postnatally. There they affect the composition of the fetal/neonatal intestinal microbial community. Establishing healthy early gut microbiota has long-lasting effects on the offspring’s metabolism and immune system. A healthy maternal diet significantly impacts healthy maternal gut microbiota, which, in turn, affects the formation of the fetal/newborn intestinal microbiota. Beneficial effects of prenatal pro- and prebiotic treatment on offspring’s health are known, although detailed studies regarding the type, dosage, and timing of pro-/prebiotic intake during pregnancy are required.
Despite the convincing results, some critical points and significant evidence still need to be included. Therefore, this Special Issue invites articles on maternal gut microbiota and fetal and neonatal development and health. In addition, reports are requested on the maternal dietary factors and other potential modulators of the maternal–fetal microbiota axis during pregnancy, impacting offspring’s microbiota and health.
Prof. Dr. Asim K. Duttaroy
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- pregnancy
- maternal diet
- fetal development
- gut microbiota
- offspring
