Maternal inflammation boosts serotonin, impairs fetal brain development in mice
Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - 12:21
in Health & Medicine
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 offers a potential mechanism explaining why: Inflammation alters neurotransmitters and impairs growth of nerve cells in the developing fetal brain.