MU researchers make strides in understanding fetal brain development

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – Research at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine is providing new insights into the connection between a pregnant person and their fetus.

Dr. Cheryl Rosenfeld, an associate professor at the biomedical sciences, and Jessica Kinkade, a research scientist in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, were the main authors of the research.

Rosenfeld said she was partially motivated to research this connection after her niece was born healthy, but developed serious health issues later in life. She said it was most likely caused by her sister taking her prescribed Methaqualone, (also known as “Quaaludes,”) for depression, a drug which has since been scheduled by the federal government.

“So to me, these diseases came down from what she experienced in utero, that was the only thing I could surmise,” Rosenfeld said. “Now, we know what we experienced in utero can, for better or worse, affect our lifelong health.”

Rosenfeld’s research was focused mainly on the placenta, a temporary organ which develops in the uterus during pregnancy and serves as the source of nutrients and oxygen to the growing fetus.

The research found that the placenta produces microscopic particles which act as a protective “shipping-and-handling” mechanism for transmitting biological information from the placenta to the neurons in the developing brain.

This pathway could lead to earlier diagnosis of serious neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or schizophrenia.

“While I can’t reverse what was done to my niece, Sara, I can try to prevent similar things from happening to other children by learning more about how biological information gets transported during pregnancy,” said Rosenfeld. “The sooner we can identify abnormalities in fetal brain development, the sooner we can diagnose the potential for disorders to surface later in the baby’s life.”

Right now, those with neurological disorders are not identified until symptoms emerge, a delay which can exacerbate negative health outcomes.

“Presumably, if we know what’s wrong, we go in there and we correct it,” Rosenfeld said. “Then, these kids that would have otherwise developed such neurologic disorders, may never have to experience that in their lifetime– and to me, that’s really amazing and incredible.”

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