A new preclinical study provides the first direct evidence that loss of a placental hormone during pregnancy alters long-term brain development, causing autism-like behaviors in male offspring.

A rapid and reproducible radioimmunoassay for serum placental lactogen (HPL) has been developed that permits the endocrine function of the placenta to be quantitated and the progress of gestation ...

Newly reported research in mice is the first to provide direct evidence that loss of a placental hormone can alter long-term brain development in offspring. The study, headed by researchers in the ...

June 8 (UPI) --Testing hormone levels in the placenta during the first trimester can help identify women who will develop potentially life-threatening disorders during pregnancy, according to a study ...

The placenta is the nutritive organ for the human fetus. It plays multiple roles in protecting the pregnancy from pathogens, producing the right endocrine milieu, supplying nutrients, and removing ...

Find out when the placenta forms, and how the placenta supports your baby during your pregnancy.

Just as a runner steadily builds up endurance in order to peak at just the right time, the placenta carefully calibrates how much of the hormone allopregnanolone (ALLO) it produces during pregnancy.

Allopregnanolone, a hormone made by the placenta late in pregnancy, is such a potent neurosteroid that disrupting its steady supply to the developing fetus can leave it vulnerable to brain injuries ...

Hormones coordinate different body functions by carrying messages through the bloodstream to target cells and tissues. Hormonal imbalances occur through inadequate or excess hormone synthesis, which ...

From human development to certain diseases developing, hormones can affect the body in several ways. “Hormones are chemical messengers that are normally created in one part of the body and go to ...

Doctors explain how to actually take care of your hormone health.