A gene that turns on very early in embryonic development could be key to the formation of the placenta, which provides the developing fetus with what it needs to thrive during gestation. The placenta ...

BEIJING -- After years of dedicated research, a team of Chinese scientists has unveiled critical mechanisms governing early human embryonic development, offering novel theories and potential ...

Maternal stress could leave epigenetic imprints on genes in the placenta associated with cortisol—a necessary hormone for fetal development—and this would affect the baby's development from very early ...

Mini-placentas grown in the lab have helped to identify proteins that facilitate placental invasion of the uterus and the opening of its arteries in order to supply nutrients to the developing fetus.

Your labor is over! Your sweet baby is finally in your arms and the tough job of childbirth is nearly complete. All that remains is tying up the loose ends, so to speak, and this means the delivery of ...

Pregnancy is often described as a miracle, and that is indeed true. Inside you, a new life develops with the support of an extraordinary organ, i.e., the placenta. But what makes this organ function ...