Placental Cell Disruption Tied to Adult Depression, CVD

Loss of Hofbauer placental cell function resulting from preterm birth or intra-amniotic infection may contribute to an increased risk for depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in offspring, new research suggests. "Placental inflammation in the context of prenatal infection has been shown in several studies to be associated with many adult health conditions for the exposed fetus," study author Eamon Fitzgerald, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, told Medscape Medical News. "However, these same inflammatory …