Placenta News and Research

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Maternal cannabis use linked to increased risk of behavioral problems in children

Children exposed to their mother's cannabis use during pregnancy and after birth are three times more likely to develop behavioral problems, new Curtin University research has found.

6 Mar 2025

Oxytocin’s new role in delaying embryo development revealed

Oxytocin, a hormone already known for its role in childbirth, milk release, and mother-infant bonding, may have a newfound purpose in mammalian reproduction.

5 Mar 2025

Maternal smoking and second-hand smoke linked to increased placental abruption risk

Unlike genetics or age, smoking is a risk factor for numerous diseases that we can actually do something about. By quitting, smokers can minimize these risks.

5 Mar 2025

Tocolytic drugs ineffective for premature birth after 30 weeks

The use of tocolytic drugs in cases of threatened premature birth after 30 weeks of pregnancy does not improve the baby's health.

3 Mar 2025

New three-organ system offers an animal-free alternative for pharmacokinetics research

Innovative organ-on-chip specialist Dynamic42 and ESQlabs, experts in digital life sciences solutions, have successfully developed a three-organ system, in close collaboration with Consumer Health Division of Bayer, and the Placenta Lab at Jena University Hospital.

2 Mar 2025

Vaping while pregnant isn't harmless—study uncovers risks to newborn lung health

Researchers found that e-cigarette exposure during pregnancy can disrupt fetal lung development, increase oxidative stress, and heighten the risk of respiratory diseases in newborns.

27 Feb 2025

FDA warns against HCG weight-loss products

Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows there are sensible ways to lose weight, including eating a balanced diet and exercising.

24 Feb 2025

Zika virus hijacks tunneling mechanism to infect placental cells

Infection with Zika virus in pregnancy can lead to neurological disorders, fetal abnormalities and fetal death. Until now, how the virus manages to cross the placenta, which nurtures the developing fetus and forms a strong barrier against microbes and chemicals that could harm the fetus, has not been clear.

22 Feb 2025

Boston University professor receives grant for preeclampsia drug discovery research

Wendy Kuohung, MD, associate professor of obstetrics & gynecology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has been awarded a two-year, Discovery Research Grant from March of Dimes.

21 Feb 2025

Blood test can predict preterm preeclampsia with 80% accuracy

A new blood test has an 80% accuracy in predicting preterm preeclampsia, according to a study published today, Feb. 12, in the journal Nature Medicine.

12 Feb 2025

Women prefer female cardiologists for better heart care

According to the U.S. Physician Workforce Data Dashboard, only about 17% of cardiologists are women, ranking as one of the lowest specialties among female physicians, yet heart disease remains the number one killer of women, accounting for one in five female deaths.

12 Feb 2025

Targeted polymersomes boost methotrexate efficacy for aggressive choriocarcinoma treatment

Researchers develop targeted polymersomes loaded with methotrexate for the treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma,

11 Feb 2025

Low vitamin D in first trimester linked to higher preterm birth risk and reduced fetal length

Maternal vitamin D status in early pregnancy is crucial for fetal growth and may reduce the risk of preterm birth, according to recent research findings.

7 Feb 2025

Cannabis use during pregnancy linked to impaired fetal growth

Cannabidiol (CBD), the component in cannabis often used for therapeutic treatments, is increasingly being used during pregnancy as a means of managing symptoms such as nausea, anxiety and sleep.

6 Feb 2025

New drug delivery system shows promise for treating choriocarcinoma

A new drug delivery system shows promise for treating a rare, aggressive form of cancer affecting pregnant women and new mothers, and it has potential with other cancers as well.

6 Feb 2025

Study explores how nanoplastics could affect child's immune system during pregnancy

Allergies and asthma are widespread diseases that could arise during embryonal development in the womb.

6 Feb 2025

Maternal stress may leave epigenetic marks on certain placental genes

Maternal stress could leave epigenetic imprints on genes in the placenta associated with cortisol — a necessary hormone for fetal development — and this would affect the baby's development from very early stages, as stated in a paper published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology.

4 Feb 2025

Microplastics may accumulate in the brain at higher levels than in the kidney or liver

Findings indicate rising microplastic concentrations in human brains and organs, urging deeper investigation into their health effects and distribution.

3 Feb 2025

Early pregnancy vitamin D deficiency increases risk of preterm birth

Low vitamin D levels in the first trimester of pregnancy are associated with higher rates of preterm birth and decreased fetal length, according to a new study led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences.

3 Feb 2025

Study links epigenetic mechanism to placental blood vessel development

If the development of blood vessels in the placenta is impaired, fetal growth retardation may result. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University discovered that the correct development of functioning blood vessels in the mouse placenta is controlled epigenetically: One of the enzymes that modify gene activity using methyl groups is responsible.

15 Jan 2025

Placenta News and Research

Maternal cannabis use linked to increased risk of behavioral problems in children

Oxytocin’s new role in delaying embryo development revealed

Maternal smoking and second-hand smoke linked to increased placental abruption risk

Tocolytic drugs ineffective for premature birth after 30 weeks

New three-organ system offers an animal-free alternative for pharmacokinetics research

Vaping while pregnant isn't harmless—study uncovers risks to newborn lung health

FDA warns against HCG weight-loss products

Zika virus hijacks tunneling mechanism to infect placental cells

Boston University professor receives grant for preeclampsia drug discovery research

Blood test can predict preterm preeclampsia with 80% accuracy

Women prefer female cardiologists for better heart care

Targeted polymersomes boost methotrexate efficacy for aggressive choriocarcinoma treatment

Low vitamin D in first trimester linked to higher preterm birth risk and reduced fetal length

Cannabis use during pregnancy linked to impaired fetal growth

New drug delivery system shows promise for treating choriocarcinoma

Study explores how nanoplastics could affect child's immune system during pregnancy

Maternal stress may leave epigenetic marks on certain placental genes

Microplastics may accumulate in the brain at higher levels than in the kidney or liver

Early pregnancy vitamin D deficiency increases risk of preterm birth

Study links epigenetic mechanism to placental blood vessel development

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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