Placenta plays an important role in fetal brain development

April 20, 2011
Researchers have found evidence that the placenta plays an important role in fetal brain development during the early stages of pregnancy.

Experiments in mice show that during a key period, the placenta becomes a source of the chemical serotonin, which helps determine the wiring of key circuits in the brain.

The finding, published in the journal Nature, could help explain what leads to brain disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. And it shows that the placenta does a lot more than simply transport nutrients from a mother to her unborn baby.

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/20/135569520/babies-developing-brains-fed-by-placenta-not-mom