Perinatal Maternal Malnutrition and Its Impact on Skeletal Muscle Structure in Offspring: A Narrative Review | ||
| Zagazig University Medical Journal | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 14 October 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Review Articles | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/zumj.2025.424248.4191 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ayman Noureldeen* 1; Amal Seliman Sewelam2; Walaa A. Rashad3; Ayat M Domouky4 | ||
| 1Faculty of medicine Zagazig university | ||
| 2Human anatomy,faculty of medicine,zagazig university,zagazig,egypt | ||
| 3Human Anatomy & Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt. | ||
| 4Human Anatomy & Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Maternal nutrition during the perinatal period is a critical determinant of fetal development, influencing organogenesis and tissue differentiation. Adequate nutrient supply supports the proper formation of organ systems, including skeletal muscle, which plays essential roles in locomotion, posture, metabolism, and growth. Skeletal muscle development begins early in embryogenesis and continues through the perinatal stage via tightly regulated processes of myogenesis, differentiation, and growth that are highly sensitive to the intrauterine environment. Maternal malnutrition during pregnancy or lactation, whether manifested as protein deficiency, excessive fat intake, or a combination of both, can profoundly disrupt skeletal muscle development in offspring. These nutritional imbalances reduce muscle mass and alter fiber composition and diameter, resulting in impaired metabolic capacity, weaker contractile function, a great risk of obesity, resistance to insulin, and metabolic disorders in offspring. This review aimed to provide an overview of the structural changes taking place in the skeletal muscles of offspring following maternal exposure to either low-protein or high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Perinatal maternal malnutrition; skeletal muscle development; protein deficiency; high-fat diet | ||
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