Dec 2025-HNHP Quarterly Connect: Science of DOHaD

Hunger, Nutrition and Health in Pregnancy Action Network Quarterly Connect Meeting

The Hunger, Nutrition and Health Pregnancy Action Network is bringing together organizations and experts to share progress and updates, highlight member experiences and advance collaboration opportunities to improve nutrition and health outcomes from preconception through early childhood. These are the notes from the December 3, 2025 meeting.

Agenda

3:00pm          Welcome

3:15pm           Before your story begins…science writes the plotline: How the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease rewrites what we know about our health

                             with Kent L. Thornburg, MS, PhD, FAPS and Dr. Marie-France Hivert

3:30pm          Question & Answer session with speakers

3:35pm          Facilitated group networking

3:55pm          Reflection, updates, and next steps

4:00pm         End

Next Steps and Resources

1.    Register NOW for the March 4, 2026 Quarterly Connect Meeting

2.    Stay Connected: Hunger, Nutrition & Health in Pregnancy (HNH-P) Action Network website

3.    Stay Connected: HNH-P on LinkedIn

4.    Contribute: HNH-P Open-Source Online Learning Library

5.    Research: The importance of nutrition in pregnancy and lactation: lifelong consequences

6.    Research: Barriers to implementing good nutrition in pregnancy and early childhood: Creating equitable national solutions

7.    Practice: OHSU Nutrition During Pregnancy

‍Meeting Summary

 Quarterly Connection Series: Nutrition and Health

Rachel Ferencik introduced the Quarterly Connection Series of the Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, and Pregnancy Action Network. She highlighted the importance of nutrition and health in preventing chronic disease and discussed recent efforts to protect government-funded food assistance programs. Rachel mentioned that participants at the last meeting had expressed interest in learning more about culinary medicine for medical students and joining the provider workgroup. The conversation ended with an outline of the day's agenda, including presentations by Dr. Thornburg and Dr. Hivert, followed by breakout discussions to foster connections among network members.

DOHaD Research and Clinical Implementation

Liana Haywood introduced the speakers and provided background on the Hunger, Nutrition and Health, and Pregnancy Action Network, which grew out of three national conferences on nutrition and pregnancy organized by OHSU and supported by the Vitamix Foundation. She introduced Dr. Kent Thornburg, an emeritus professor of cardiovascular medicine at OHSU, and Dr. Marie-France Hiver, a professor in the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The discussion focused on the science of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), with Kent speaking from a research perspective and Marie-France from a clinical perspective.

DOHaD: Nutrition's Role in Health

Kent and Marie-France discussed the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), which examines how early-life experiences, particularly nutrition during pregnancy, can influence chronic disease risk later in life. They explained that epigenetic changes triggered by nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy can affect not only the baby's development but also future generations, underscoring the importance of pre- and perinatal nutrition. Kent emphasized that as chronic diseases rise and healthcare costs increase, addressing nutritional health during pregnancy becomes even more critical for preventing intergenerational health issues.

Summary and Next Steps

The meeting focused on the intergenerational impacts of nutrition, particularly the acceleration of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes in younger generations. Marie-France discussed the importance of nutritious diets during developmental periods and the role of social stress and environmental factors in epigenetic effects. The group explored solutions to improve access to nutritious foods, including government programs like SNAP and WIC, community support, and reducing food waste. Participants agreed on the need for collective action to address this complex issue, and breakout rooms were used to discuss further strategies and share insights. The next meeting was scheduled for March 4, and attendees were encouraged to join the LinkedIn group and share resources.

Key Insights Across Breakout Rooms

1. Science & Research Highlights

·         Strong evidence links prenatal nutrition to chronic disease risk and multigenerational health outcomes.

·         Data shows nutrition quality—not just access—matters, with processed foods dominating available options.

·         Research from food banks and WIC/EBT programs reinforces the importance of nutrition security.  

2. Barriers & On-the-Ground Challenges

·         Low health literacy, cultural barriers, and political climate limit access to nutritious foods, especially for pregnant women.

·         Sustainability of food access is uncertain amid SNAP cuts and economic pressures.

·         Early childcare providers see heightened social stressors and difficulty meeting families' needs.

3. Opportunities & Emerging Solutions

·         Pregnancy is a powerful motivator for behavior change.

·         Strong desire for partnership models that match organizational strengths ("puzzle pieces").

·         Messaging is critical. Chronic disease is a highly complex problem that appears simple but isn't.

·         Improving the nutritional quality of food access is a shared priority.

·         Community brainstorming and collective action generate energy and innovation.

4. Funding & Resource Constraints

·         Major funding gaps hinder scaling of WIC/EBT doubling programs.

·         Farmers eager to participate need reliable financial support.

5. Topics for Future Sessions

·         Intersection of substance use and pregnancy

·         Community models that have demonstrated impact

·         Success stories to replicate

·         Systems approaches to embed postpartum nutrition

6. Participant Perspectives

·         Cross-sector participants joined to learn, represent colleagues, and share "aha" moments.

·         Would like a quick slide recap of today's conversations

·         Strong interest in improving choice-based food models and integrating dietitians.

‍Speakers

Kent L. Thornburg, MS, PhD, FAPS is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine Emeritus in the School of Medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). He recently held professorial appointments in the departments of Physiology & Pharmacology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Medical Informatics, Clinical Epidemiology and Biomedical Engineering. He was the founding Director of the OHSU Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness and the Center for Developmental Health in the Knight Cardiovascular Institute (KCVI), where he recently served as Interim Director. He was PI on two ongoing T32 training grants. He continues to study how early life stressors increase a person's risk for adult-onset heart disease and other chronic conditions. He currently chairs the External Scientific Board that oversees the national NIH program: "Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes" (ECHO). He also serves on the Scientific Board of the national Preeclampsia Foundation and the Council for the World Hypertension League. He organized and chaired three national conferences on nutrition in pregnancy, from which two reports have been published. He and his colleagues are laying the groundwork for understanding the maternal and fetal epigenetic origins and progression of cardiovascular disease, which will lead to precision disease prevention and a more personalized diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions.

Dr. Marie-France Hivert is a professor in the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is a clinical investigator with a primary focus on the etiology and primordial prevention of obesity and related co-morbidities, particularly type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Her interests also include fetal metabolic programming mechanisms and the integration of genetics, epigenetics, and environmental factors contributing to obesity and related disorders. She leads multi-sectoral interventions co-created with community-based organizations to enhance nutrition in families. At Harvard Medical School, she is the Director of the Curricular Theme Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine.

Stay Connected

 www.impacthunger.org

 LinkedIn: Hunger, Nutrition and Health in Pregnancy ACTION NETWORK

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