Congenital heart defects are the most common form of human birth defect, but we still don’t fully understand what causes them. Previous research had suggested that some heart defects could be ...

Scientists are uncovering how the placenta, long viewed as a temporary pregnancy organ, acts as a powerful biological predictor of lifelong health, linking prenatal environments to future risks of ...

Among babies with severe congenital heart disease (CHD), neurological abnormalities tended to cluster in those who had been exposed to some placental pathology while still in the womb, a single-center ...

Congenital heart defects are the most common form of human birth defect, but we still don't fully understand what causes them. Previous research had suggested that some heart defects could be ...

Placental vascular reactivity (PLVR) can help identify fetal congenital heart disease (CHD), according to a study recently ...

A new study shows oxygenation levels in the placenta, formed during the last three months of fetal development, are an important predictor of cortical growth (development of the outermost layer of the ...

Using ultrasound to measure blood flow in the placenta and the fetus could help spot issues tied to low birth weight, researchers report. As the Dutch investigators explained, about 10% of fetuses are ...

A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute has identified that a deficit in the placental expression of the gene insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGFBP1) and low IGFBP1 circulating ...

The life of billions of people inhabiting Earth is owed to a temporary organ that supported and nourished them in a mother’s womb. The placenta, or afterbirth, is considered sacred by some cultures, ...

Modern medicine has begun to recognize that the placenta can have significant medical and scientific value even after childbirth.

When Lauren Aleksunes was a CVS pharmacist, pregnant women would often ask her questions about whether a certain dietary supplement was safe to take or even if a brand of hair dye could seep into ...

The image shows the longitudinal UFF-PAM placenta on day 8, day 10, day 12, and day 15. Blood vessels diameter and density increased by more than 200% over this period. DURHAM, N.C. -- Physicians and ...