A big CHT to the reader who e-mailed the following story.
It turns out that, after giving birth, mothers continue to have cells from their children in their bodies.
This was a shock to scientists, who figgered that the mother’s immune system would quickly (within hours) pick off any of the baby’s cells since they have a different genetic profile than the mother’s.
But it turns out that’s not the case. The cells appear to stay in her for decades (40-50 years).
And with each new baby that a mother has, she gets new cells from it that stay in her system and float around her bloodstream.
What are they doing in there?
There are three hypotheses, any of which (or some combination of which) could be true.
The "Bystander Hypothesis" holds that they aren’t really doing anything. They’re just bystanders.
The "Bad Hypothesis" holds that they may do damage to the mother, causing autoimmune diseases in some cases.
And the "Good Hypothesis" holds that they actually help the mother out, acting as a second (or third or forth or twelfth) repair system in the mother’s body.
It isn’t certain yet which hypothesis is true, but evidence for the Bad Hypothesis appears small and evidence for the Good Hypothesis is rapidly mounting.
For example: In the case of a woman who had contracted hepatitis it was found that cells from her prior children clustered around her liver in vast quantities and seemed to be functioning like normal liver cells, helping her out.
It may be that this is a form of natural embryonic stem cell therapy, with the baby’s cells morphing into whatever kind of cells mom needs.
Sweet!
Also, for mothers who have lost children to miscarriage (or abortion) there is also the fact that these babies’ cells stay in you as well and may be helping you out, decades after the fact.
Research is still being done, but one scientist (quoted in the audio story linked below) thinks that we’ll have the answer within five years.
NOTE: Be sure to listen to the audio story and don’t just read the text one. The audio one contains a bunch more info.
‘NUTHER NOTE: The title of this post is not to be construed as dissing other research showing that pregnancy is good for you.
So, does the Blessed Mother still have cells from Jesus in her body? Who knows, but the idea is fun to think about! 🙂
Wow that gives a new perspective onto when our Blessed Mother said to Jesus in the movie, the Passion, that Jesus is “Flesh of her Flesh, and bone of her bones.”
I find it immensely heartwarming to know this!
Having passed on my own genetic matter to my children, it’s wonderful to know that my bodies nourishing them within the womb was the means by which we would each exchange some small(or large) part of the very essence of ourselves with the other. Knowing that my children will literally always be a part of me in a truly literal sense, is really quite incredible.
Also, then, I would imagine, that in some small way, my son’s body would also contain some of these cells from my first born child, my daughter..which would have resided within me after her birth and have been passed on to my son when he was born 3 1/2 years later? Fascinating.
God Bless.
Mr. Akin-
It is possible that both the “good” and “bad” hypotheses have merit- that although the children’s cell may have beneficial effects in some, they can contribute to illnesses like autoimmune diseases in others. It may not be an either/or proposition.
Hence I said:
“There are three hypotheses, any of which (*or some combination of which*) could be true.”
And what do the fathers get out of all this?
Sex?
Hopefully a sense of satisfaction for raising your children well? =)
“There are three hypotheses, any of which (*or some combination of which*) could be true.”
Ah! Missed that bit 🙂
And what do the fathers get out of all this?
They get fat, grey and bald. 🙂 Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Margaret
Afraid I started off with the 1st.
#2 & 3 are catching up fast.
There is a fourth hypothesis (mine): These cells enable the mother to read the child’s mind.
My mom could read my mind (it sure seemed that way to me!), and I can read my son’s mind (or so he thinks!).
‘thann
The question that inquiring minds will want to know is – what about mothers who aborted their babies?
Should make one think a bit.
Had my first daughter halfway through a degree in mechanical engineering. Was getting C’s and B’s before having her—got straight A’s afterwards! She is one smart kid–so I wonder if some of her intelligence “rubbed off” on me?
Didn’t Aristotle say that the Formal Cause of a living being exists in its entirety in even the individual parts of that living being? And that the Soul is the same thing as the Formal Cause? So this would mean that mothers carry around the souls of their children!
Well, I wouldn’t get *that* carried away with the thought, Mark. The poetic sentiment is nice and all but I wouldn’t go so far as to think a soul exists in the residual cells or that they’re technically a part of the person, whose entire body is intact somewhere else and not anywhere inside the mother.
I’m not throwing my soul away when I throw away my fingernail clippings 😉 They’re no longer technically a part of me once they’re severed.
It’s just the idea that residual cells left over from a child might benefit the mother, whether they’re considered part of the child or not. That in itself has a certain beauty about it.
About the concern over autoimmune disorders: I might be mistaken but due to autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, allergies, etc. being on the rise, I can’t help but think a lot of it is environmental. That is to say, it wouldn’t be the presence of a child’s tissue that’s the real culprit, but rather, some environmental condition is causing a hyper autoimmune reaction to things the body shouldn’t react to in the first place. I really hope one day we sort this problem out. Too many people these days are suffering normal things they shouldn’t.
A physician friend of mine tells me that most every specialty within medicine has a specific, mysterious, hard-to-cure disease that sometimes seems like an autoimmune disease. He suspects that each one of these particular problems is actually caused by elevated, prolonged anxiety. Some of the diseases are irritable bowel, some cardiac irrhythmias, asthma-like conditions, and types of vision defects. He says that these various “different” diseases are diagnosed because most doctors don’t routinely screen their patients for depression. As the Mass says, “…protect us from all anxiety…”
The New Agers are taking off and running with this, while Catholic hospitals don’t take advantage of the massive spiritual firepower that exists in the Church.
Mia asked
“So, does the Blessed Mother still have cells from Jesus in her body? Who knows, but the idea is fun to think about! :)”
Yes it is fun to think about, especially in contemplating the Assumption. The theology of the Assumption holds that Our Lady was assumed into Heaven, at least in part, because her womb had been the sacred vessel of Our Lord. Would this new discovery of leftover cells provide another reason for the Assumption? Perhaps, even temporarily, she continued to be the sacred vessel and was so at her death. Fun to think about.
Very interesting indeed! Since Christ was 100% sinless, this is scientific proof of Mary’s sinlessness!
Could Mary sin and make the cells of Christ stained with sin? Then we would have cells of Christ stained with sin and that’s it, game over – Christianity would be a false religion. We know Christ didn’t have any stain of sin and now here’s proof Mary didn’t either!
Man I love it! Science + Theology = backing up the Catholic faith! 🙂
I can’t believe how you can call it a proof!