In any placental mammal a finely tuned immune system protects its body against invasion. Detection of foreign proteins triggers rejection. Yet half the genes of a fetus in the mother’s womb stem from ...

Modern medicine has begun to recognize that the placenta can have significant medical and scientific value even after childbirth.

Scientists are uncovering how the placenta, long viewed as a temporary pregnancy organ, acts as a powerful biological predictor of lifelong health, linking prenatal environments to future risks of ...