The dangerous road of catch-up growth

Male rats growth-retarded during fetal life and cross-fostered shortly after birth to normal lactating dams reach normal body and organ weights by weaning but have a reduced longevity. This finding raises the possibility that catch up growth, whilst potentially beneficial in the short term, may be detrimental to long-term survival. Human epidemiological studies may point in the same direction. These findings raise the interesting possibility that the response to fetal stress, be it nutritional or other, may evoke a somewhat restricted and uniform pattern of adaptive response.