Vijayscope

  OET Reading Part C - Lexical Questions 1. What does the writer mean by the word cost in the paragraph? A) overwhelming evidence B) placental insufficiency C) viable progeny D) reduced growth Text: Pregnancies are complicated by sub-optimal conditions in the womb, such as happens during pre-eclampsia or placental insufficiency, enforced physiological adaptations in the unborn child and placenta. While these adaptations are necessary to maintain viable pregnancy and sustain life before birth, they come at a cost . The biological trade off is reduced growth, which may in turn affect the development of key organs and systems such as the heart and circulation, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular  disease in adult life. Overwhelming evidence in more than a dozen countries has linked development under adverse intrauterine conditions leading to low birthweight with  increased rates in adulthood of coronary heart disease and its major risk factors - hypertension, atheroscierosis, a