ABSTRACT
The field of epigenetics is currently garnering a great deal of interest, exploring how our very molecular makeup in the form of modifications to the genome can be altered by factors as diverse as aging, disease, nutrition, stress, alcohol, and exposure to pollutants. Epigenetic processes describe changes to the genome that can alter gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence. DNA methylation is catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). Times of increased cell turnover, such as during fetal development and infancy, may be particularly susceptible both to epigenetic errors and to environmental influences. There are some regions of the genome that demonstrate increased interindividual epigenetic variation, and may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of environmental influences. There are a variety of factors, both nutrition-related and otherwise, which may impact the infant epigenome in utero through maternal exposure. Maternal body mass index shows some association with infant epigenetic patterns.
