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pregnancy

·May 24, 2020·5 min read

Behavioral disorders more common in children exposed to maternal antenatal corticosteroids

Children exposed to maternal antenatal corticosteroids had higher rates of emotional, behavioral, and psychological developmental disorders than their peers whose mothers did not take the drug.

This shows a pregnant woman in a hospital bed

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·May 22, 2020·5 min read

Placentas from COVID-19-positive pregnant women show injury

The placentas of sixteen women who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy showed evidence of significant injury, a new study reports. The placental injuries were consistent with abnormal blood flow between mother and baby in-utero, suggesting another complication of coronavirus infection in pregnant women.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 11, 2020·3 min read

COVID-19 places added prenatal stress on mother and child that could have lasting impact

A child's mental health is affected by stress factors experienced during the mother's pregnancy. The findings suggest the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting detrimental impact on the mental health of many children born to mothers who are currently pregnant.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 4, 2020·5 min read

New insight on maternal infections and neurodevelopmental disorders

Maternal inflammation has been linked to a range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in children, including autism and schizophrenia. A new mouse study reveals maternal responses and subsequent developmental disorders are based on the mother's immunoreactivity to infection.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 29, 2020·4 min read

Increased risk of language and cognition deficits in children whose mothers took SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy

Children exposed to SSRI antidepressants in utero had an increased risk of experiencing language and cognitive deficits in kindergarten.

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·April 27, 2020·2 min read

COVID-19 and pregnancies: What we know

COVID-19 poses a substantial and underappreciated risk to pregnant women, researchers warn. Some studies suggest the novel coronavirus can be transmitted to the fetus in utero. Researchers impress more research be conducted into the effects of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and the risks it poses postnatally.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 24, 2020·4 min read

Alcohol use during pregnancy linked to offspring depression

Children whose mothers consumed alcohol at 18 weeks of pregnancy were 17% more likely to be diagnosed with depression at age 18 compared to those whose mothers abstained from drinking.

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·April 22, 2020·4 min read

Human pregnancy is weird – new research adds to the mystery

Study reveals the progesterone receptor gene evolved rapidly in humans, but there is no evidence to support this happened because the changes were advantageous to our species. Researchers report the evolutionary force of selection was so weak that the gene accumulated harmful mutations as it evolved in humans. Progesterone receptor genes are vital during pregnancy as it supplies developing cells the ability to create progesterone receptors.

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·April 18, 2020·3 min read

Exercise during pregnancy reduces obesity among offspring

Exercise during pregnancy stimulates the production of brown adipose tissue in the developing fetus. This can help reduce the risk of childhood obesity.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 8, 2020·3 min read

Genes sow seeds of neuropsychiatric diseases before birth and in early childhood

Researchers identify genetic variations in the prefrontal cortex during different stages of development to assess how psychiatric conditions, such as autism and schizophrenia, may arise in individuals.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 4, 2020·4 min read

Spina bifida surgery before birth restores brain structure

Performing in utero surgery on babies to repair spina bifida related defects between 23 and 26 weeks of gestation triggered the restoration of normal brain structure.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 30, 2020·6 min read

Psychiatric disorders after first birth reduce likelihood of subsequent children

Women who experience postpartum mental health problems such as depression and anxiety following the birth of their first child are 31% less likely to have more children.