Early Life Adversity and Female Reproductive Outcomes: How Growth, Diet, and Nutrition Impact Reproductive Function and Accelerated Reproductive Ageing

Despite concerted efforts to live healthy, active lives, there is significant variability in the ageing process; some individuals live long lives without severe illness, while others develop chronic diseases, become frail and die early. Although the majority of research has concentrated on age-related chronic illnesses, including metabolic and cognitive decline, one undervalued aspect of ageing is reproductive decline and associated morbidities, particularly in women. Early life stress is one of the major factors thought to regulate good or poor ageing, and also when we start to age. In women, early life adversity has been associated with early onset puberty, with impairment of central ovarian regulation, and altered ovarian follicle growth and maturation that may lead to ovarian pathology or premature follicular loss. Although we have some insight into mechanism, molecular pathways remain unclear and we look to future research to define these pathways to guide therapeutic interventions.