A new genetic study in mice, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests stress during pregnancy can impact fetal brain development and potentially lead to neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Researchers mapped how maternal stress affects the fetal brain's neuroimmune landscape using spatial transcriptomics, identifying the 'CXCL12 CXCR7' pathway as crucial for neural stem cell development. The study also noted sex-specific vulnerabilities in the male fetal brain, offering potential targets for early intervention.