FRHD 3090 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Smoking And Pregnancy, Coronary Artery Disease

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Family Relations and Human Development
• Course: FRHD 3090
• Professor: Michelle Preyde

Document Summary

Poverty and social inequality adversely affect children s health and development in all countries, regardless of medical knowledge and the availability of health care, and regardless of cultural context. Early life health has lifelong effects that result from the interaction of biological development and social and environmental circumstances. Growth before birth has been argued to be vital to health in subsequent childhood and adult life because many tissues and organs are formed with regard to cell numbers at or shortly after birth. Most of postnatal growth is a consequence of the enlargement of pre-existing cells rather than the accretion of additional cells . Malnutrition at critical phases of development before birth may permanently reduce the number of cells in particular organs . Socially mediated factors that adversely affect growth before birth and in infancy include poverty, maternal smoking, excess alcohol intake, drug misuse, and poor and deficient diet of mothers and babies.