pregnant belly clad in hospital gown with IV line going into hand
Registry Review Casts Doubt on Causal Link Between Maternal Infection and Autism
Maternal infection during pregnancy may be associated with autism, as previous studies have suggested—but perhaps not in a causal way.
Registry Review Casts Doubt on Causal Link Between Maternal Infection and Autism
Registry Review Casts Doubt on Causal Link Between Maternal Infection and Autism

Maternal infection during pregnancy may be associated with autism, as previous studies have suggested—but perhaps not in a causal way.

Maternal infection during pregnancy may be associated with autism, as previous studies have suggested—but perhaps not in a causal way.

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pregnancy
Newborn baby rats lie in a basket
Mother’s Circadian Rhythms Mirrored in Fetal Rat Brains
Bianca Nogrady | Sep 12, 2022
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
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.
Cell-Free DNA as Disease Biomarkers
Cell-Free DNA as Disease Biomarkers
The Scientist Creative Services Team
In this webinar, Stella Goulopoulou and Iwijn de Vlaminck will discuss how they analyze cell-free DNA to identify biomarkers of various diseases and their complications, including preeclampsia, COVID-19, and transplant rejections.
An illustration of a pregnant women wearing a mask, surrounded by microbes
How COVID-19 Affects Pregnancy
Amanda Heidt | Aug 16, 2022
Evidence thus far shows that pregnant people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are at higher risk for severe disease and death, as well as complications in their pregnancies.
Brain imaging of a fruit fly
Science Snapshot: When Pregnant Flies Crave Ice Cream and Pickles
Lisa Winter | Jul 7, 2022
A visualization technique shows how fruit flies choose which food to eat.
baby
Maternal smoking during pregnancy alters placental function and fetal growth
Roni Dengler, PhD
Smoking during pregnancy changes marks on placental DNA, altering its responses to environmental stressors.
A clinician in a white lab coat sitting in a chair uses an arm cuff to measure the blood pressure of a pregnant patient sitting across from them.
RNA in Blood Predicts High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
Dan Robitzski | Jan 6, 2022
Biomarkers in serum correlate with preeclampsia, a condition that can lead to fatal hypertension.
collage of images related to favorite stories, including black and white photo of flowers, illustration of two rats, human body with floating coronaviruses
The Scientist Editors’ Favorite Stories of 2021
The Scientist Staff | Dec 28, 2021
A look back at some of the articles we most enjoyed reading, writing, and editing this year
The Epigenetic Origins of Allergy and Asthma
The Scientist Speaks Ep. 15 - The Epigenetic Origins of Allergy and Asthma
The Scientist Creative Services Team
Epigenetic marks acquired from environmental exposures throughout life influence human health and may even transcend generations.
A watercolor of a baby in a heart-shaped womb
Sex of Fetus Affects Immune Response to COVID-19 During Pregnancy
Amanda Heidt | Oct 20, 2021
Male placentas produce more proinflammatory molecules than female placentas, while people carrying male fetuses produce fewer antibodies in response to infection, a study finds.
Fat Tissue Reorganizes During Pregnancy
Catherine Offord | Aug 1, 2021
Researchers identify a protein that promotes changes in adipose tissue in vitro and in pregnant mice and may help protect against gestational diabetes in humans.
Birth of Midwifery, Circa 100 CE
Lisa Winter | Aug 1, 2021
Soranus of Ephesus’s manual shaped the way midwifery was practiced for more than a millennium.
Ten Minute Sabbatical
Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon | Aug 1, 2021
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.
Study Looks for Effects of Fetal Exposure to Air Pollution
Jef Akst | Aug 1, 2021
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.
Opinion: Treating Infertility as a Disease
Kate O'Neill | Aug 1, 2021
For too long, a physiological inability to conceive or carry a child through to birth has been seen as a minor medical issue.
A microscopy image of several endometrial stromal fibroblasts
Gene Offers Clue to How Human Labor Starts
Christie Wilcox | Aug 1, 2021
Genes associated with preterm birth and protecting the fetus from the mother’s immune system appear to be regulated by HAND2.
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
In her current work, the University of Southern California psychologist is examining how the transition to fatherhood affects men’s brains.
Researchers Head to the Hills to Study Pregnancy
Amanda Heidt | Aug 1, 2021
High altitude is a natural laboratory for investigating pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, that restrict a fetus’s oxygen supply.
Infographic: Maternal Microbiota Has Lasting Effects on Offspring
Carolyn A. Thomson and Kathy D. McCoy | Aug 1, 2021
Work in rodents shows that the bacteria living in a mother’s gut can produce immunomodulatory metabolites and influence the production of maternal antibodies—both of which can affect her offspring’s development.