Maternal obesity alters the structure of the placenta (a vital organ that nourishes the baby during pregnancy) more than gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM; a condition is diagnosed by poor glucose ...

The placenta plays a central role in fetal development by regulating nutrient transfer, hormonal signaling, and immune interactions, thereby shaping lifelong health outcomes. Evidence from ...

Common environmental chemicals could affect birthweight and placental function, according to a study published in ...

The placenta has long been thought to produce serotonin during pregnancy. But in a new study, Yale researchers shatter the deep-rooted hypothesis—and show that the placenta doesn't produce serotonin ...

To help close this knowledge gap, Lewis, along with placenta researcher Michelle Desforges at the University of Manchester, and bioinformatician Michele Darrow at the Rosalind Franklin Institute, ...

The placenta keeps the fetus healthy in the womb and, after birth, can be donated to strangers to offer "miraculous" healing power. The Cleveland Clinic describes the vital role of a healthy placenta.

Researchers have discovered a direct association between placental function in pregnant women and future metabolic disorders in children and adults, a finding that could lead to earlier intervention ...

We have all had one, and we owe our lives to it. It’s the first organ to develop and it simultaneously serves as the lungs, kidneys, immune system, and digestive tract, to name a few, in a fetus while ...

Share on Pinterest New research examines the role of the placenta in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Kemal Yildirim/Getty Images Cases of mother-to-fetus transmission of SARS-CoV-2 are low, but rates of ...

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is different from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It usually occurs around the 24th week of ...