Despite more than three decades of research supporting the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory, the mechanistic understanding of how prenatal and early-life exposures influence an individual's health trajectory remains incomplete. Continuing to expand the growing body of evidence characterizing prenatal exposures and their effects, while investigating the mechanisms that link them, is essential to advance the field into a new era in which not only prevention but also interventions to mitigate adverse outcomes may become possible.

Furthermore, the field must continue to incorporate real-world scenarios that encompass the multitude of exposures individuals experience throughout development, with particular emphasis on the prenatal exposome. Although this approach introduces additional complexity, it has the potential to reveal the critical interactions that shape health across the entire biological system. From environmental exposures, such as air pollutants and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), to social stressors and public policy, understanding how these factors interact to influence prenatal health is essential for developing effective strategies to improve maternal and offspring outcomes.

This Topical Collection aims to build on previous work summarized in the literature while highlighting the experimental methods and emerging areas of research that continue to shape the field of developmental toxicology. By combining comprehensive reviews with reproducible, video-based methodologies, the Collection will serve as an accessible educational resource for both established investigators and the next generation of researchers, helping to advance methodological rigor and accelerate discoveries in developmental toxicology.