Týden 7 - The WWII Impact on Human Biology and Health Status
- Záznam semináře
Prof. Grażyna Liczbińska, Ph.D., DrSc.
Hunger and psychological stress are mentioned as important factors influencing individuals in their early and later life development. Extreme conditions spanning the prenatal period through childhood up to the adolescent transition, influence growth in stature and pubertal maturation, including menarche. This fact is confirmed by Polish research on women born during WWII, as a result of which they were shorter and matured later than those from the pre-war and post-war periods. The impact of extreme conditions on human life in adulthood is shown by studies of the Dutch Famine in WWII and the famine in the besieged city of Leningrad during WWII. In the light of those studies, adverse environmental conditions occurring in earlier stages of life are result in negative health effects later in life, such as: postponed menarche and earlier menopause, increased risk of obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders and chronic diseases, coronary heart disease, hypertension, glucose intolerance and mental health problems. Moreover, research has shown that adverse conditions of WWII, related to the psychological stress and food shortages, could have influenced pregnancy course and its outcomes. The main aim of this work is to present the state of the world-wise literature on the impact of WWII on human biology with particular emphasis on the recent Polish-Czech research on the impact of World War II on perinatal outcomes.