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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Placenta. 2016 Oct 20;48(Suppl 1):S47–S53. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2016.10.012

Figure 2.

Figure 2

The primary elements that lead to a pro-inflammatory state in both fetal and postnatal life. Beginning left, pro-inflammatory molecules affect placental inflammatory gene expression depending on the physiological status of the mother. A pro-inflammatory placenta leads to compromised immune function in the fetus along with elevated levels of oxidative stress. The outcome is a fetus that suffers “smoldering, cold inflammation” that may persist and make it more likely that the offspring will be more vulnerable for adult-onset chronic disease.