Placental function can illuminate future disease: Study

New York, Jan 23 : Researchers have discovered a direct association between placental function in pregnant women and future metabolic disorders in children and adults.
The study, published in the journal Diabetes, suggests that the discovery could lead to earlier intervention and diagnosis of disease.
“We’ve known for some time that many major diseases in adults like diabetes and cardiovascular disease are at least partly caused by problems during foetal life,” said researcher Thomas Jansson, Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
“For example, it has been shown that 50 per cent of all Type-2 diabetes in young adults are caused by exposure to the intrauterine environment in pregnant women with obesity and/or gestational diabetes,” Jansson added.
In this study, the research team have uncovered more about the placenta’s role in the future health of a child.
“We are the first to discover associations between placental function and blood pressure, body fat and triglyceride levels in children between the ages of 4-6 years old. These markers often signal risks for future heart disease, diabetes and obesity,” the researcher said.