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Effects Of Maternal Nutrition On Conceptus Growth And Offspring Performance: Implications For Beef Cattle Production, Richard N. Funston, David M. Larson, K. A. Vonnahme

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Developmental programming is the concept that a maternal stimulus or insult at a critical period in fetal development has long-term effects on the offspring. Historically, considerable effort has been made to understand how nutrition influences health and productivity during the postnatal period. Whereas maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays an essential role in proper fetal and placental development, less is known about how maternal nutrition affects the health and productivity of the offspring. Conceptus growth is sensitive to direct and indirect effects of maternal dietary intake. Even from the earliest stages of embryonic life, when nutrient requirements for conceptus growth are …