ABTRACT First observations in which conditions of offspring at birth were linked to gestational conditions came from the Dutch Hunger. During this time, the population nderwent a period of famine in which rations were limited. The study of that period brought the idea that an adverse fetal environment, low birth weights, and adult disease were potentially correlated. This review focuses specifically on developmental programming experiments in livestock as it relates to fetal and postnatal growth and development. Developmental programming describes the phenomenon in which a stimulus or adverse effect introduced during a critical period of time has permanent consequences affecting offspring growth and development. This review will address the impact of nutrient restriction specific on placental growth, genotype, sexual dimorphism, fetal organ development and fetal muscle and adipose development. The data presented in this review provide clear evidence that maternal malnutrition can alter the phenotype of its offspring, both in the uterus and in postnatal life. It is also compelling to conclude that these phenotype differences may result from epigenetic changes in gene expression, associated with the development of a thrifty phenotype. This mismatch between the fetus and the postnatal environment into which it will be born may result from the periods of reduced fetal growth trajectory observed in undernourished pregnancies.