A BOND between a child and a mother is special and beautiful for most people. Every mother’s day, many around the world take the opportunity to celebrate this bond with a nice day out, gifts or a special dinner.
Some research has suggested that this bond goes further, much further than just emotions.
There is an intriguing claim that fetal cells can stay in a mother's body for even decades after childbirth.
Is there scientific truth to this claim, or is it just another old wives tale?
Verdict:
TRUE
Fetal cells have been found to stay in a mother’s body beyond the time of pregnancy, and in some cases for as long as decades after the birth of the baby.
As early as the second week of pregnancy, cells containing DNA from the fetus cross the placenta and enter the mother’s blood circulation, while cells from the mother cross in the opposite direction and transfer into fetal circulation.
Most of the cells coming from the fetus are destroyed by the mom’s immune system, but some persist and become embedded in various organs, and become a part of the parent.
This is a phenomenon called microchimerism.
This was first noticed in humans many years ago when cells containing the male “Y” chromosome were found circulating in the blood of women after pregnancy.
Since these cells are genetically male, they could not have been the women’s own, but most likely came from their babies during gestation.
In a newer study, scientists observed that microchimeric cells are not only found circulating in the blood, they are also embedded in the brain.
When examined, they found such cells in more than 60 percent of the brains and in multiple brain regions.
Some studies suggest that these cells might play a role in tissue repair, potentially aiding in the healing process. However, there's also evidence pointing to possible negative effects, as fetal cells have been linked to certain autoimmune diseases.
Now that you know that you are very literally biologically connected to your mother, tell her you love her… if you want, of course.
References:
3. https://www.sciencenews.org/
