The placenta helps keep the baby healthy during pregnancy: study

Washington DC: A recent study suggests that the placenta regulates the amount of oxygen and nutrients to be transported to babies during difficult pregnancies and that it is trained to adapt to poor diet or lack of diet situations. d & # 39; oxygen. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed that the placenta is the least understood organ and that it is notoriously difficult to study in pregnant women. But its ability to function properly is essential because it has a direct impact on the outcome of pregnancy and the lifetime health of the mother and the child.

The placenta develops during pregnancy and connects the developing baby to the mother. It serves as lungs, kidneys, intestines and liver for growing babies and transports oxygen and nutrients to the fetus while secreting hormones and eliminating waste.

The research is focused on badyzing small parts of the placenta cells called mitochondria. Mitochondria are the power plants of most body cells and use oxygen to convert sugars and fats into energy.

According to the researchers, the study badyzed how placental mitochondria can alter their function to meet the needs of the rapidly growing placenta and fetus during a healthy pregnancy and when the mother is challenged by a less-than-healthy environment. desirable.

"We found that in the placenta, mitochondria have a remarkable ability to adapt and compensate for environmental impacts, for example when women live at high elevations in low-oxygen areas and do not eat enough during their lifetime. pregnancy, "said Amanda N Sferruzzi- Perri, lead author of the study.

Changing lifestyles in a society where women consume nutritionally deficient diets during pregnancy can cause pregnancy complications and live at altitudes above 2,500 m in places such as Peru, Tibet and Ethiopia, limit oxygen levels. It is estimated that about two percent of the human population, or 140 million people, live in areas with low oxygen levels.

Fetal growth restriction is an important marker of potential problems in the baby, including stillbirth, death in the first weeks of life, increased risk of birth with cerebral palsy, behavioral and developmental problems, neurological disorders and chronic diseases later in life, such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

"We know that there is a lasting impact on the health of babies born with fetal growth restriction because organs and tissues such as the heart, pancreas, muscles, and liver are very sensitive when they are not healthy. they develop in the uterus, and if you do not develop properly, they are more likely to malfunction later, "said Amanda.

According to the team of researchers, the goal of the study was to understand what is needed for a healthy placenta to fulfill its vital functions during pregnancy.

With this study, the researchers hope that the results will lead to tests to determine whether the placenta is functioning properly and possibly to provide treatments to restore placental function to the correct level for a healthy pregnancy.