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Placental gross shape differences in a high autism risk cohort and the general population

Bo Y Park1,2, Dawn P Misra3, John Moye4

  • 1Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United Sates of America.

Plos One
|August 23, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Placentas from newborns at high risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) showed distinct shape differences. These findings suggest potential prenatal environmental influences on ASD development.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • The prenatal environment is increasingly recognized as a significant factor in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) etiology.
  • Understanding early developmental markers can provide insights into ASD pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate placental shape characteristics in newborns with a high familial risk for ASD.
  • To compare these features against a low-risk control group to identify potential developmental variations.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of digital photographs of placental surfaces and disks from high-risk newborns (siblings of ASD cases) and low-risk controls.
  • Extraction of quantitative measures including chorionic surface shape, umbilical cord displacement, and placental disk thickness.
  • Statistical comparison of placental features between the high-risk and control groups, with stratification by sex.

Main Results:

  • Placentas from high-risk newborns exhibited moderately increased thickness compared to controls.
  • Placentas of high-risk newborns were rounder with more regular perimeters.
  • These shape differences were more pronounced in female newborns and persisted across sexes.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced placental shape variability in high-risk newborns may indicate a limited capacity to adapt to intrauterine environmental changes.
  • Placental morphology variations could serve as potential early indicators of altered developmental trajectories associated with ASD risk.

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