Friday, August 21, 2020

Attention Pregnant Ladies

After a certain age expectant mothers are usually encouraged to undergo screening for chromosomal abnormalities which nowadays often takes a form of a blood test done in the 1st trimester that is considered less invasive and dangerous than amnio. If the results come back showing high probability of certain genetic disorders she could be advised to terminate.

Yet, recent research shows that at the early stages of development (1st trimester), the foetus is capable of restoring itself and eliminating abnormal cells:

Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz underwent a standard test that showed 25 per cent of the cells in her developing embryo could be abnormal.
Under traditional medical thinking, such an outcome could have resulted in a termination. However, she went ahead with the pregnancy and after her son, Simon, was born healthy, she was inspired to research how the developing foetus can heal itself.

 Prof Zernicka-Goetz, 52, found rogue cells revealed by such tests are often killed off by their healthy neighbours. The mother of two said older mothers should be 'reassured' because even levels of up to 50 per cent abnormal cells can be eliminated by the body's repair mechanisms.


Read the whole article over here.

2 comments:

  1. I have known at least two older mothers who had this test and were advised to terminate because of the results. Being Christians, they of course went through the pregnancy. All babies were born perfectly normal and healthy. The poor mothers were under such stress thinking about it all of course. I shudder to think of all the babies that mothers have been scared into aborting because of this test.

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  2. Lillibeth, I heard that even amnio which is supposed to be more precise, can give false positives for chromosomal problems. Also, that makes one think.If the embrio/foetus can heal itself under the right circumstances could it be that chromosomal abnormalities aren't only age/genetic related, but could also be due to lifestyle?

    There is some research done outside the West which appears to link Down syndrome with oral contraceptives and also certain diabetes medication, smoking and exposure to chemicals, both on the side of the mother AND the father.

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