It is hypothesised that an evolutionary mechanism exists whereby the foetus assists in protecting the mother’s heart during and after pregnancy.
Editor’s Note: This information has been provided by our colleagues at SPUC, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children.
This prevalent meme posits that an unborn infant can transmit its own stem cells to its mother, thereby facilitating the repair of damaged organs. It is important to note that memes are not always known for their scientific accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain the veracity of this particular meme.
Snopes.com, an online resource dedicated to the debunking of urban legends, internet rumors, email forwards, and other unverified narratives, sought to examine the assertion made by this meme: that during pregnancy, if the mother suffers organ damage, the baby in her womb sends stem cells to repair the damaged organ.
Notwithstanding the disparaging remarks concerning the utilization of the term “baby” and the question of whether the infant is aware of its assistance to the mother, the author ultimately determines that the scientific evidence supporting the claim is substantial.
The cells of a foetus can remain in the uterus of the mother for a period of up to 27 years.
The transfer and incorporation of fetal stem cells into a mother’s organs is referred to as fetomaternal microchimerism. This phenomenon has been the subject of scientific investigation for several decades.
A study published in 1996 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that in humans, genetically distinct cells from a male fetus persisted in the mother’s body for up to 27 years after birth.
However, the question remains as to whether it is possible to heal her organs.
A 2015 study published in the journal Circulation Research addressed the question of whether fetal stem cells can actually heal maternal organs. In the study, researchers employed a fluorescent protein to tag mice, thereby enabling them to track the flow of fetal stem cells from the mother’s placenta to her heart while inducing heart damage in the mother.
The study revealed that fetal stem cells were able to specifically target damaged cardiac cells and integrate fully into the mother’s heart.
It appeared that fetal cells were able to detect precise signals that enabled them to target the specific injured area. The authors posited that their findings may have uncovered an evolutionary mechanism whereby the fetus assists in protecting the mother’s heart during and after pregnancy. A substantial body of research indicates that analogous phenomena may occur in humans.
It is therefore possible to share with confidence the following remarkable fact in favour of the pro-life position.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
