INTERESTING: Research unlocks critical early nutrient supply for embryos.

The scientists discovered that gland cells in the lining of the uterus store glucose in the form of glycogen. This is then delivered to the placenta together with glycoproteins to be used for energy and converted into the amino acids which are the building blocks for further growth of the embryo.

Once a direct blood supply from the mother’s circulation to the placenta is established after 11 weeks, the supply from the gland cells tails off. . . .

An earlier study of Dutch women who were in the first three months of pregnancy at the time of a famine at the end of World War Two showed that their children were more susceptible to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other health problems than those who had enjoyed the good diet to which the people of Holland usually have access.

The new study explains some of how this crucial stage of development operates, suggesting not just that a healthy diet during the first 11 weeks of pregnancy is essential, but that as nutrients are stored in the gland cells before pregnancy, it is also important to get this right before conception.