The somatogenic and lactogenic hormones of the placenta and maternal pituitary gland
integrate the metabolic adaptations of pregnancy with the demands of fetal and neonatal�…

The weight of a child at birth is a critical determinant of neonatal morbidity and mortality and
the risk of metabolic disease throughout the life span: growth retarded [intrauterine growth�…

The placenta exerts its effects on the growth of the fetus from the beginning of pregnancy via
metabolic and endocrine mechanisms. To achieve this, the placenta exchanges a wide�…

Fetal growth is largely determined by the availability of nutrients to the fetus. The fetus is at
the end of a supply line that ensures delivery of nutrients from the maternal/uterine�…

The environment in which the fetus develops is critical for its survival and long-term health.
The regulation of normal human fetal growth involves many multidirectional interactions�…

During pregnancy, the mother must adapt her body systems to support nutrient and oxygen
supply for growth of the baby in utero and during the subsequent lactation. These include�…

The frontiers of placental endocrinology have been enlarged in the last decade. The
hypothesis that the placenta could produce typical neuronal substances has been largely�…

Hormones are both growth stimulatory and growth inhibitory in utero. They regulate tissue
growth and development by controlling the rates of cell proliferation, apoptosis and�…

Successful pregnancies rely on sufficient energy and nutrient supply, which require the
mother to metabolically adapt to support fetal needs. The placenta has a critical role in this�…

The placenta is an endocrine fetal organ, which secretes a plethora of steroid-and proteo-
hormones, metabolic proteins, growth factors, and cytokines in order to adapt maternal�…