On Feb. 1, 2023, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health announded they had developed a new method to process MRI scans to reveal the distinct compartments of the placenta, take measurements of oxygen levels in each region and determine if there are malformations in blood vessels (i.e., placental lesions).

Obtaining this level of detail is currently not possible using standard MRI analysis methods. The small study was supported by NIHﾒs Human Placenta Project, which is led by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.