Mmastodon ScienceBiology first seen 1 d ago, last 5 min ago, peak #7

Pregnancy and microchimerism: mothers may carry fetal cells for decades

Original: # ICYMI : If you've ever been pregnant, you're a chimera. I've known this for several years. But what this article taugh

A widely shared post highlights microchimerism, the phenomenon in which fetal cells cross the placenta during pregnancy and persist in a mother's body for years. The poster notes that even a miscarriage more than two decades ago may have left behind an embryo's genetic material, which can potentially be passed on to later children. The finding is prompting surprised and reflective reactions about how pregnancy physically reshapes the body long after it ends.

Why now: The surprising science that fetal cells can linger in mothers for decades, even after early miscarriage, is resonating with people who have been pregnant.

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• # ICYMI : If you've ever been pregnant, you're a chimera. I've known this for several years. But what this article taught me is that even though I miscarried at 6 weeks more than 20 years ago, I might still harbor that embryo's genetic material -- and might have passed it to my… · courtcan · 37

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