The important brain chemical serotonin may pass to the fetus through the placenta, not through the mother’s bloodstream as was previously thought, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.
Researchers at the University of Southern California were able to measure substances that passed through mouse placenta with an invention called a ‘placentometer.’
Using the placentometer, they were able to observe that serotonin, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate well-being, passes to the fetus through the placenta rather than through the mother’s blood, as had been the popular theory for the past 60 years.
"The placenta was seen as a passive organ, but we now know that it has significant synthetic capabilities and has a much more critical role in developmental programming of the fetus than previously thought," explained lead author Dr. Alexandre Bonnin.
These findings suggest that the mother’s diet could affect the developing fetus even more than expected, especially if the placenta is starved of essential nutrients.
The research could also one day be used to allow doctors to avoid affecting the fetus while treating the mother for a condition, or vice versa.