Enamel defects while in the womb or during early childhood lead to shorter life spans, American scientists have claimed.
While studying a group of ancient human — Australopithecines — from South Africa the researchers from Emory University have found a nearly 12-year decrease in mean life expectancy associated with early enamel defects.
“Prehistoric remains are providing strong, physical evidence that people who acquired tooth enamel defects while in the womb or early childhood tended to die earlier, even if they survived to adulthood,” said lead author George Armelagos.
The study, a systematic review of defects in teeth enamel and early mortality, was recently published in journal Evolutionary Anthropology . The research is the first summary of prehistoric evidence for the Barker hypothesis — the idea that many adult diseases originate during fetal development and early childhood.
“Teeth are like a snapshot into the past,” Mr. Armelagos said, adding “since the chronology of enamel development is well known, it’s possible to determine the age at which a physiological disruption occurred. The evidence is there, and it’s indisputable.”
The Barker hypothesis is named after epidemiologist David Barker, who during the 1980s began studying links between early infant health and later adult health.
Mr. Armelagos studied skeletal remains to understand how diet and disease affected populations. Tooth enamel can give a particularly telling portrait of physiological events, since the enamel is secreted in a regular, ring-like fashion, starting from the second trimester of fetal development, the study said.
Disruptions in the formation of the enamel, which can be caused by disease, poor diet or psychological stress, show up as grooves on the tooth surface.
“During prehistory, the stresses of infectious disease, poor nutrition and psychological trauma were likely extreme. The teeth show the impact,” Mr. Armelagos added.
He said, “The prehistoric data suggests that this type of dental evidence could be applied in modern populations, to give new insights into the scope of the Barker hypothesis“.
“Bioarcheology is yielding lessons that are still relevant today in the many parts of the world in which infectious diseases and under—nutrition are major killers.”
