Much discussion has been held about when life starts, which is valid not only from the ethical, philosophical or religious but also from the biological point of view. Procreation is such a natural fact that, for many years, researchers had not considered the fact that from the gametes that come from two different persons with different lives to the embryo from the very moment of implantation, all the events of that intrauterine life leave in that future child-adult an unchangeable indelible imprint.
Epidemiologic, clinical and experimental data indicate that the experiences of the first moments of development, both before and after birth, play a decisive role in the appearance of chronic diseases: coronary and ischemic diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, metabolic diseases, among others.
How can we explain all these changes? We all have an inherited genetic condition (genome), but not all that is written in that genetic code will be expressed: the environment, both intra and extra-uterine, will modulate the expression of those genes allowing for a healthy environment or, otherwise, if the environment is adverse, will leave an imprint for future health problems.
Malnutrition in the newborn is common, not only due to an inadequate nutrition but also as a result of maternal diseases such as hypertension, metabolic diseases like diabetes, autoimmune diseases that prevent normal intrauterine fetal growth. All these diseases bring about a neonate with serious malnutrition.
Now, what will happen with those children in the future? They may belong to a middle class family with parents that provide an early stimulation and adequate nutrition to recover the weight lost in the intrauterine life or, otherwise, they leave the assistance centers by decision of their parents who, due to different reasons, but especially due to lack of education or economic resources do not take care of those children with the special care they request. As a consequence, these children lose the possibility of developing their intellectual potential as brain interconnections are formed in the early stages of extra-uterine development and, therefore, will be in a disadvantageous condition to face their daily adult life.