The epigenetics of maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and effects on child development.

in utero Stimuli-Associated Epigenetic Alterations and Maternal Forecastsin utero stimuli comprise the plethora of exposures that may characterize the intrauterine environment – exposure to nutrients, stress, and drugs. A largely positive and healthy intrauterine environment may result in the mother imparting a rich maternal forecast on her developing fetus, predicting a rich post-birth environment where resources are predicted to be plentiful and negative exposures at a minimum level. A relatively negative or adverse intrauterine environment may result in the mother imparting a poor maternal forecast, often characterized by a “thrifty phenotype”, on her developing fetus, thereby preparing her child to survive in a poor post-birth environment where resources are predicted to be scarce and/or negative exposures (e.g., secondhand smoke exposure) to be frequent and abundant. Maternal forecasts which do not accurately predict the post-birth environment have been hypothesized to lead to negative consequences for the health of the child over its life course – such as increased risk for metabolic diseases in offspring born into a rich environment with a poor maternal forecast. in utero stimuli may influence maternal forecasting through epigenetic mechanisms, both directly and indirectly. These epigenetic-mediated maternal forecasts may be accessible to measurement through techniques established for measuring changes to epigenetic modes of regulation. Additionally, these epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation profiles or miRNA expression, may have utility as diagnostic biomarkers capable of predicting increased risk for diseases or disease progression but also as therapeutic targets. Scientific artwork by Jennifer Z. Joukhadar.