Being Born During a Famine May Cause Health Problems for Baboons in Later Life

Baboons that are born in lean times may actually be more vulnerable to food shortages later in life. Scientists have discovered that animals that are malnourished when they're young may also experience poor health as adults.

After a severe drought on the plains of southern Kenya in 2009, the researchers examined how 50 wild baboons coped with the conditions and whether the conditions they faced in infancy played a role. While the drought of 2009 was bad, though, the year before wasn't much better. Rainfall in 2008 dropped to half of normal levels; the grasslands animals depended on for food dried up and watering holes disappeared.

"We lost 98 percent of het wildebeest population, 75 percent of the zebra population and 30 percent of the elephant population," said Susan Alberts, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It was impossible to go anywhere without smelling death."

The researchers compared two groups of females; one group was born during low rainfall years and the other group was born during normal rainfall years. During the 2009 drought, the baboons born during low rainfall years were 60 percent less likely to become pregnant. In contrast, pregnancy rates dipped by only 10 percent for females born during normal rainfall years.

The findings may not just tell researchers about baboons. They could also explain why people who are malnourished in early childhood go on to have higher rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease as adults. Scientists believe that human babies born in lean times are programmed for food shortages later in life and develop a metabolism aimed at storing fat and conserving energy.

"It's bad to be born in bad times, but with the right social or economic environment, that can be mitigated," said Alberts.

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