Unborn babies use father’s gene to ‘control’ their mother
Image: Shutterstock
Scientists have found that unborn babies use a gene from their father to manipulate their mother’s metabolism, helping them receive more nutrients during pregnancy.
Scientists at Cambridge have discovered that fetuses use a copy of a gene they inherited from their father to force their mother to give up as many nutrients as possible during pregnancy.
Remote control
This “remote control” creates an internal struggle between the mother and fetus for resources. The research focused on the hormones in the placenta that instruct the mother to support the baby’s growth. This is the first direct evidence that the paternal gene influences the mother to direct nutrients to the foetus.
ALSO READ – Honored and loathed: you should know this about the uterus
Defective gen
Babies with a defect in this gene (lgf2) may grow too quickly or have stunted growth, affecting their long-term health and possibly leading to diabetes and obesity later in life.
The unborn baby “steers” its mother’s metabolism at a distance, embroiling them in an internal battle for nutrition. The mother’s body wants the baby to survive, but must maintain enough glucose and fats in her system for her own health, childbirth, breastfeeding, and future reproduction.
Source: neurosciencenews.com
