Stunting is a global health problem that is common in low and middle-income countries where one third of children under 5 years of age are affected1 Africa has the highest rates of stunting and is the continent that has shown the least improvement in the prevalence of stunting in recent years2. Small mothers tend to give birth to small babies but the epigenetic mechanisms that underlie this correlation are poorly understood. This exploratory study of 30 imprinted genes in placentas from primiparous mothers will test the hypothesis that genetic imprinting plays a role in the inter-generational transmission of stunting.