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A blue neuron extends into the distance with many protrusions.
Promoting Parenting Practices
Pregnancy hormones help mice prepare to take care of their young by altering activity in neurons.
Promoting Parenting Practices
Promoting Parenting Practices

Pregnancy hormones help mice prepare to take care of their young by altering activity in neurons.

Pregnancy hormones help mice prepare to take care of their young by altering activity in neurons.

pregnancy, neuroscience

pregnant belly clad in hospital gown with IV line going into hand
Registry Review Casts Doubt on Causal Link Between Maternal Infection and Autism
Charles Q. Choi, Spectrum | Sep 26, 2022 | 4 min read
Maternal infection during pregnancy may be associated with autism, as previous studies have suggested—but perhaps not in a causal way.
Newborn baby rats lie in a basket
Mother’s Circadian Rhythms Mirrored in Fetal Rat Brains
Bianca Nogrady | Sep 12, 2022 | 2 min read
Before their own central clocks develop, the brains of fetal rats detect their mother’s metabolic cycle to help regulate the expression of certain genes.
A pregnant woman gets her blood pressure checked by a doctor
U.K. Health Authority Investigates Epilepsy Drug’s Link to Autism
Peter Hess, Spectrum | Aug 30, 2022 | 3 min read
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s investigation comes after a study showed prenatal exposure to topiramate roughly triples a child’s likelihood of having autism or intellectual disability.
Brain imaging of a fruit fly
Science Snapshot: When Pregnant Flies Crave Ice Cream and Pickles
Lisa Winter | Jul 7, 2022 | 1 min read
A visualization technique shows how fruit flies choose which food to eat.
Study Looks for Effects of Fetal Exposure to Air Pollution
Jef Akst | Aug 1, 2021 | 5 min read
By measuring various pollutants in the immediate vicinity of pregnant women and tracking brain development of their children, researchers in Barcelona aim to untangle any influence the former has on the latter.
A woman in a colorful blouse smiles in front of a blurred background of books on shelves
Darby Saxbe Digs into Relationships’ Effects on Human Biology
Shawna Williams | Aug 1, 2021 | 3 min read
In her current work, the University of Southern California psychologist is examining how the transition to fatherhood affects men’s brains.
Infographic: How Exposure to Cannabis in Utero Affects Development
Andrew Scheyer | Jan 1, 2019 | 2 min read
Rodent and human studies have revealed a multitude of effects starting during gestation and lasting into adulthood.
Rat Study Points to Role of Uterus in Memory
Carolyn Wilke | Dec 7, 2018 | 1 min read
When researchers removed the reproductive organ, female rats had more difficulty solving a water maze.
Maternal Obesity and Diabetes Linked to Autism in Children
Sukanya Charuchandra | Oct 1, 2018 | 5 min read
Inflammation may be a strong contender for the connection between mom’s weight and children’s neurodevelopment, according to lab studies on animals.
Study: Fish Oil During Pregnancy May Lower Asthma Risk in Children
Ben Andrew Henry | Dec 29, 2016 | 1 min read
Pregnant women who took a fish oil supplement during pregnancy were less likely to have children with asthma.
Pregnancy May Remodel the Brain’s Social Cognition Regions
Ben Andrew Henry | Dec 19, 2016 | 1 min read
Reductions in the volume of gray matter in specific regions appear to represent synaptic pruning, a new study suggests, that tunes a mother’s brain to childcare.
Hormone Hangover
Jyoti Madhusoodanan | Feb 1, 2016 | 2 min read
Medication to prevent prematurity in humans harms cognitive flexibility in rats.
Maternal Inflammation Impacts Offspring
Jef Akst | Nov 17, 2014 | 2 min read
A mom’s stress could lead to changes in her offspring’s brains that can affect the physiology and behavior of the young, researchers report at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting.   
The Maternal Microbiome
Kerry Grens | May 21, 2014 | 5 min read
Moms bombard their babies with bugs both before and after they’re born.
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