Using ultrasound, researchers captured the facial expressions of developing fetuses in response to the taste of foods their mothers were eating. When exposed to carrots, the fetuses displayed "laughter-face" expressions, and "crying-face" expressions when exposed to kale. The findings shed new light on the development of human taste and olfactory receptors.
Study explores how maternal infection can affect fetal brain development, leading to sensory processing disruptions associated with ASD and schizophrenia.
Using datasets of fetal ultrasounds, a new AI algorithm is able to detect cystic hygroma, a rare embryonic developmental disorder, within the first trimester of pregnancy.
Chronic stress experienced by a woman in the later stages of pregnancy can affect her fetus' ability to absorb iron by up to 15%. Researchers say the effects of iron deficiency are more noticeable in male fetuses.
Valproic acid (VPA), an anti-convulsant medication, can cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy. Researchers identified a molecule called p19Arf that appears to be responsible for VPA's induced senescence in neuroepithelial cells. When exposed to VPA, mice lacking p19Arf did not experience gene expression alterations associated with ASD.
A new rat study exposed to everyday endocrine-altering chemicals, such as BPA during pregnancy, interfered with fetal brain development.
Study reveals how the early days of mother-provided immunity work, and what this could mean for preventing death and disability for a wide range of infectious diseases. The findings could allow for the development of new therapies and improved vaccines that mimic the elevated maternal antibodies.
Babies whose mothers contracted COVID-19 while pregnant had greater difficulties relaxing and adapting their bodies while being held than those whose mothers did not contract covid. Additionally, babies born to infected mothers had greater difficulty in controlling their head and shoulder movements. Findings suggest prenatal COVID-19 infection may impact motor function development in babies.
Brain folds that form during fetal development may have an impact on the age at which symptoms of frontotemporal dementia occur.
Women expecting male babies often face more complications during pregnancy. Researchers found the sex of a baby affects how well the placenta functions, along with other factors including maternal stress and diet-induced maternal obesity. Designing individual plans and encouraging women to make lifestyle choices based on their child's sex could provide long-term health benefits and reduce complications during pregnancy.
A new study sheds light on the movement of neurons throughout the brain during fetal development. Researchers also found the two hemispheres of the human cortex separated earlier in development than previously thought.
A neuroimaging study of perinatal brains at 25 weeks of gestation reveals significant differences in brain structures in children who were later diagnosed with autism and those who were not. The findings add to the mounting evidence that ASD begins in early development.