Frcblog.com recently wrote a blog “You will always be With Me: Fetal Cells Cross Placenta and Stay with Mom for life” The article is inspired from a National Public Radio’s Morning Edition program in which Science editor Robert Krulwich reports on fetomaternal microchimerism. A bit about fetomaternal microchimerism (please allow wikipedia to go further into depth), in humans it is when fetal cells pass the placenta and make cell lineages in the mother. To make it more interesting, the cell lines are immunologically active for decades (possibly forever) after giving birth. Just to make it even a bit more interesting the births could be abortions, miscarriages and vital births, the activity of the baby’s cells in the mother is not related to how viable the pregnancy was. The mystery of biology is absolutely fascinating.
Dr. Kirby Johnson, PH.D from Tufts University, stated in his interview with Krulwich that it is proven that hundreds of babies cells slip out of the placenta and stay with the mom four to five decades following the last pregnancy. Dr. Carol Artlett, PH.D, who studies fetal cells at Thomas Jefferson Universtity in Philadelphia, said the cells essentially last forever on the mom.
What is the purpose of these cells in the body? A couple of different hypotheses are discussed. The first and least friendly hypothesis is that the baby’s cells can cause certain autoimmune diseases in mothers in later life by causing inflammation in the mother’s body tissues. Hmmm. The second hypothesis is proposed by Tufts University, which (happily) is like the antithesis of the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis proposes the cells that the baby leaves behind are there to protect, defend, and repair the mother for the rest of her life whenever she gets seriously ill, essentially acting as stem cells. And there is a true story to back it up in Krulwich’s interview. A women who had hepatitis and had five conceptions (one child, two miscarriages, two abortions) had her liver biopsied to see if they would find any fetal cells gathering in her liver, where she was in need of help. Low and behold, there in her liver they found hundreds of fetal cells turning themselves into healthy liver cells!
Research has been done to test both hypotheses, over and over the benevolence of the fetal cells comes forth as being true. More evidence is coming forth to support the hypothesis that baby cells in the mother may actually be repairing tissue and protecting the mom.
The benevolent hypothesis encourages the idea, or the truth (see it as you may), of a real biological, loving connection that children have with their mothers and vice versa. This cellular living connection begins as early as conception within mothers to extend all their lives. What a beautiful gift wrapped inside the mothers body.
In Placenta Peace~ Elenya Grafals, CPM, LMT, CPES
