Читать книгу Genetic Disorders and the Fetus - Группа авторов - Страница 161

The placenta exhibits a remarkable degree of developmental plasticity.¹⁷⁶ By changing structure/cell composition, blood flow, or gene expression, the placenta may adapt to fetal demands for nutrients.¹⁷⁷ Compensatory placental growth has been observed in response to reduced maternal nutrition in the first trimester of pregnancy.¹⁷⁸ Placental size relative to the fetus is also affected by maternal smoking,^{178, 179} psychosocial stress during pregnancy,^{180, 181} and maternal iron levels early in pregnancy.¹⁸² Epigenomic analysis offers great promise in providing a record of the combined effects of a variety of in utero environmental exposures, as the epigenome (DNA methylation and histone modifications) can reflect both altered cell composition and changes to gene expression.¹⁸² Nonetheless, interpreting epigenomic studies of placenta faces many challenges. As placental size, shape, and function are associated with postnatal health of the baby into adulthood, there is great interest in overcoming these challenges to enhance our ability to assess the placenta to assist in the assessment of newborn health at birth.