The placenta seems to keep more secrets than we think. That vital organ that nourishes the baby in the womb, besides being essential for its development, could be responsible for some long-term behavior problems. British researchers relate the function of the placenta with mental health in adulthood.
Scientists at the universities of Cardiff and Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, believe that anxiety problems or that we are more vulnerable to problems related to our adult mental health are associated with abnormal functioning of the placenta.
Its operation is very complex and involves the action of some hormones. A hormone they have called growth factor-2 plays a role similar to insulin, key in the control of the growth of the fetus in the uterus. What the scientists did was damage this hormone in mice and observed their adult behavior.
They caused an imbalance in the supply of nutrients controlled by the placenta, which, in the long term had important effects on the mental state of the animals, which turned out to be more susceptible to mental and anxiety disorders.
It is not unreasonable to think that the mismatch in the supply and demand of certain nutrients affects our brain development in the mother's womb. In fact, there are numerous studies that relate the deficit of certain nutrients such as iodine, with a worse cognitive performance.
The placenta is a transcendental organ in the beginning of our lives, but also in the long term. Research like this makes us see its importance, since apparently, the alterations that may be caused in it would determine in some way what we are today.
