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Developmental Origins of Disease

Meaning

Developmental Origins of Disease (DOD), often discussed under the DOHaD hypothesis (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease), is a scientific paradigm asserting that environmental exposures and nutritional status during critical periods of early development permanently program an individual’s physiology. These early life influences, spanning from gestation through infancy, can establish a long-term predisposition to non-communicable diseases later in adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This concept underscores the profound, lasting impact of the prenatal and postnatal environment on lifelong health.