The Barker Hypothesis

Professor Jim Heckman recently gave lectures at the Irish Economics Association in Cork and UCD. Although the focus of these talks was on human capital formation, he also mentioned the importance of early life conditions for adult health. This aspect of the lasting impact of childhood circumstance is the focus of ongoing work in Geary.

David Barker, an epidemiologist from the university of Southampton, was the first to argue that many chronic diseases have their origins in infant health. I came across his website recently which provides an interesting outline of the Barker/Foetal Origins Hypothesis.