Revolutionary Findings on Serotonin and the Placenta

A groundbreaking study from Yale is turning the world of prenatal research upside down! For years, it was believed that the placenta produced serotonin during pregnancy. However, researchers have uncovered a stunning truth: the placenta doesn't create serotonin; instead, it acts as a control center, regulating the delivery of serotonin from the pregnant parent to the developing baby.

What Is the Serotonin Shield?

Dubbed the "serotonin shield," this newly discovered function of the placenta is vital for fetal development. Harvey Kliman, a scientist at Yale School of Medicine, explains, "The placenta is essentially the 'serotonin shield' that determines the amount of serotonin delivered to the embryo and fetus, rather than being the source of it". This shift in understanding could have profound implications for how parental serotonin levels influence a child’s physical and cognitive development.

Beyond Mood: The Essential Role of Serotonin in Growth

Often referred to as the 'happiness hormone,' serotonin is well-known for its influence on mood, but it has much broader functions. Surprisingly, only 5% of serotonin originates in the brain, while a staggering 95% is produced in the gut. Serotonin also plays a key role in growth, particularly during pregnancy, facilitating development via a special protein known as the serotonin transporter (SERT).