Welcome to the European Congress of Perinatal Medicine, Paris, 2012
‘Imprinting the Future’ We have learnt from the last two decades that the period covering conception, pregnancy and early infancy is unique in life, as a number of stimuli, not only insults or diseases, have long lasting effects and shape the whole life of an individual. Health and disease, but also less explored issues such as behavior or senescence are involved in developmental ‘programming’. Early exposure to imbalanced nutrition and lifestyle, stress, or toxic chemicals, starting as soon as in the pre- periconceptional periods, can act silently with effects revealed only at (late) adulthood. In this framework, epigenetic, transgenerational mechanisms translate today into worldwide pandemics such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Consequences on global health are major, especially in emerging countries.
Today, the battle against maternal, fetal and infantile diseases needs to be extended beyond the typical pathology and perinatal syndromes. Thus, the motto of the 23rd European Congress of Perinatal Medicine will be ‘Impriting the Future’. Of course, this congres will offer attendees also an update in all the main topics of perinatal medicine, prepared in many cases by world class experts.
Welcome to Paris. We hope that the 23rd ECPM will bring a substantial progress in science, in sharing goals and opinions, and overall in a global and comprehensive understanding of current challenges. The importance of caring for mothers and children has never been so obvious.
Prof. Umberto Simeoni Prof. Yves Ville
Co-Chairmen of ECPM 2012