Therapies targeting the placenta may help protect babies from the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke later in life, WA researchers say.

The placenta might play a more significant role in influencing a baby's health during pregnancy than was previously thought and the organ could be targeted for treatment, Perth researchers have found.

A study involving the University of Western Australia and Edinburgh University examined stress hormones during pregnancy and found therapies targeting the placenta could help protect babies from diabetes and heart disease later in life.

Mice were used to analyse low birth weight, which is linked to an increased risk of cardio-metabolic disorders such as heart disease.

Caitlin Wyrwoll, from UWA, said the underlying link was an elevated exposure in the womb to stress hormones.

"The gene known as HSD2 plays an important role during pregnancy in protecting the placenta and the fetus from these hormones and acts as a protective barrier during a stressed pregnancy where, for example, a mother might be suffering poor nutrition," Dr Wyrwoll said.

"We took away this gene during the span of mouse pregnancy and found that as well as this affecting blood vessel development in the placenta, it also impaired growth and heart function of the fetus."

The team then trialled Pravastatin, which stimulates placental blood vessel development, and found the blood vessels became more complex, while normal fetal growth and cardiac function were restored.

"This provides evidence that promoting placental blood vessel development could be an important therapeutic approach in stressed pregnancy and opens up the exciting possibility of the placenta as a target for treatment," Dr Wyrwoll said.