Placental Studies for Child Development.

Abstract

Research on children's psychological and behavioral development readily incorporates changing biological models and techniques. In this article, we suggest that, in response to increasing evidence of robust influences of prenatal exposures on children's neurodevelopment and mental and physical health, developmental science also needs to consider the placenta's role in development. We argue why placental mechanisms are plausible targets in developmental science, and suggest initial and practical steps toward integrating placenta markers and mechanisms into research on child development.