Maternal inflammation boosts serotonin and impairs fetal brain development in mice Society for …
Fighting the flu during pregnancy sickens a pregnant woman, but it may also put the fetus at a slightly increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism later in life. A new study in pregnant mice, published June 1 in The Journal of Neuroscience, offers a potential mechanism explaining why: Inflammation alters neurotransmitters and impairs growth of nerve cells in the developing fetal brain. Prenatal infections are associated with a slight risk for disorders like autism and schizophrenia in children, and evidence suggests the mother’s inflammatory response may be a cause. Studies in rats indicate high levels of inflammatory molecules in the maternal blood supply are linked to lifelong behavioral abnormalities in offspring. Just how inflammation affects the developing brain has remained a mystery. The fetal brain requires the neurotransmitter serotonin…
Link to Full Article: Maternal inflammation boosts serotonin and impairs fetal brain development in mice Society for …
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