The placenta of a pregnant woman can absorb more than just nutrition and oxygen, a new study has found.

Researchers, from the University of Pennsylvania, found that stress is transmitted to the placenta, altering the levels of a protein that can affect brain development in the foetus.

Knock on effect ... offspring absorb mother's stress. Credit:iStock

The authors of the paper, published online yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said: "Maternal stress is a key risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and autism."

This is particularly the case for male offspring.