Environmental insults such as maternal infection, stress and malnutrition have been shown to activate the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis with resultant increase in the expression of the glucocorticoid receptors, dampening of the hypothalamic negative feedback mechanism and increased production of stress hormones (glucocorticoids) by the adrenal glands [53, 54]. Here, NR3C1 is linked to nutritional deficiency disease.