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Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 9, 2021·9 min read

ADHD and Autism Associated With In-Utero Heavy Metals and Essential Minerals

Prenatal exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic, and increased levels of the mineral manganese, were linked to an increased risk of ADHD and autism spectrum diagnosis in children.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 6, 2021·5 min read

Study Links Prenatal Phthalate Exposure to Altered Information Processing in Infants

Fetal exposure to phthalates alters cognitive processing in young children, a new study reports. Children whose mothers were exposed to higher levels of phthalates during pregnancy exhibited slower information processing skills. Male children were most likely to experience difficulties.

This shows pink baby booties and pink baby blankets

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 6, 2021·5 min read

Maternal Stress at Conception Linked to Higher Chance of Female Fetus

Study reveals women who gave birth to girls had higher levels of cortisol in hair samples in the weeks before and at the point of conception.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 24, 2021·4 min read

DHA Supplement May Offset Impact of Maternal Stress on Unborn Males

DHA supplements have long been recommended for pregnant women to assist in healthy fetal development. A new study finds DHA supplements can also reverse the impact of early prenatal stress on developing male babies.

This shows the word mama, a drawing of a baby and a heart

Featured Psychology

·March 18, 2021·6 min read

Pandemic Has Increased Pregnancy Stress for US Women

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on stress in both pregnant and postpartum women. Researchers say this is concerning as prenatal stress can hamper fetal brain development.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 16, 2021·6 min read

How Pregnancy Turns the Stress Response on Its Head

Immune cells in the uterus and placenta of stressed pregnant mice were not activated, but researchers found increased levels of inflammation in the developing fetal brain. Additionally, prenatal stress led to reductions in gut microbial strains and functions, especially in those linked to inflammation.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 15, 2021·5 min read

Exercise During Pregnancy May Save Kids From Health Problems as Adults

Mouse study reveals maternal exercise during pregnancy reduced the transmission of metabolic disorders from obese parents, whether the disorder was apparent in the father or mother.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 13, 2021·6 min read

Being Born Small Doesn’t Tend to Disadvantage IVF Babies’ Cognitive Development

Lower birth weight in medically assisted reproduction babies does not appear to hamper cognitive development to the same degree that it does in naturally conceived children with lower weight at birth.

This shows a pomegranate and a mug of juice

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 11, 2021·5 min read

Lower Risk of Brain Injury for at-Risk Infants Whose Mothers Consumed Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice appears to have neuroprotective effects in pregnancies marked by intrauterine growth restriction. Researchers found pomegranate juice reduced the risk of brain injury in infants with IUGR, especially when pregnant women drank it during the third trimester.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 9, 2021·5 min read

Nitrate in Maternal Drinking Water May Impair Fetal Growth

Pregnant women exposed to nitrates through household drinking water had, on average, babies that weighed ten grams less than women with no exposure to nitrates in drinking water. High levels of nitrate in tap water can cause infant methemoglobinemia, a fatal condition in newborns.

This is a drawing of a baby and a placenta

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·February 8, 2021·5 min read

Specific Genes in Placenta May Predict Size of Baby’s Brain and Risk for Schizophrenia

Genes found in the placenta can accurately help predict the size of a baby's brain and its cognitive development, which, depending on other factors, could predict risk factors for schizophrenia in later life.