Fetal development could be considered a sensitive period wherein exogenous insults and
changes to the maternal milieu can have long-term impacts on developmental programming …

An increasing number of women of reproductive age are obese which affects the continuum
of pregnancy and is associated with an increased incidence of adverse maternal and fetal …

Tissue-specific DNA methylation is found at promoters, enhancers, and CpG islands but also
over larger genomic regions. In most human tissues, the vast majority of the genome is …

BACKGROUND Epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in prenatal development, but
fetal tissues are not readily accessible. Fetal DNA molecules are present in maternal plasma …

Background The human placenta facilitates the exchange of nutrients, gas and waste
between the fetal and maternal circulations. It also protects the fetus from the maternal …

Background High-throughput sequencing of cell-free DNA fragments found in human
plasma has been used to non-invasively detect fetal aneuploidy, monitor organ transplants …

BACKGROUND Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic gene regulatory mechanism; disruption
of this process during early embryonic development can have major consequences on both …

The placenta guides fetal growth and development. Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are
widespread environmental contaminants and endocrine disruptors, and the placental …

It is well-known, but frequently overlooked, that low-and high-throughput molecular data may
contain batch effects, ie, systematic technical variation. Confounding of experimental …

As the primary interface between maternal and fetal circulations, the placenta is subject to a
myriad of environmental exposures with the capacity to alter placental function and fetal …