Understanding the molecular control of placenta formation, the organ which enables fetal growth, is critical in diagnosing and treating related pregnancy complications. A group of scientists at the ...

The first stages of placental development take place days before the embryo starts to form in human pregnancies. The finding highlights the importance of healthy placental development in pregnancy, ...

The placenta is the organ connecting mother and embryo. Its main functions are the exchange of nutrients, gases and metabolic products and the production of hormones and other substances essential for ...

High-resolution imaging of the human placenta provides new insights into blood circulation patterns that are crucial for fetal development, according to a new study. These findings improve our ...

FROM the moment of conception an interplay of biochemical processes ensures the growth and development of the fetus and its placenta. Such an interplay must function under an intricate system of ...

Scientists have derived and grown trophoblast stem cells for the first time, which will lead to better understanding of the human placenta. In a milestone achievement for better understanding the ...

Let’s say an expectant mother arrives at her doctor’s office for a routine checkup. She’s seven months pregnant and she’s completely healthy: She hasn’t had any illnesses, she isn’t taking any ...

One of the weirdest things about placentas, if you have to choose just one, is how very little we know about them. For an organ that is so essential to human life—it is the dark, pancake-shaped blob ...

When babies are born extremely prematurely – before 24 weeks of development in the womb – their lungs aren't strong enough to provide their organs with the oxygen needed to develop properly. Nor are ...

Until now, scientific evidence has been inconclusive regarding the ability of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, to replicate in the human placenta. Answering this question, as well as ...