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- 1Pregnancy leaves lasting genetic traces, chimerism explainer resonates●# ICYMI : If you've ever been pregnant, you're a chimera. I've known this for several years. But what this article taugh
A biology explainer about fetal microchimerism is being shared widely. During pregnancy, cells from the fetus can cross the placenta and remain in the mother's body for years or even decades, meaning mothers can carry genetic material from embryos, including those lost very early to miscarriage, and may even pass such cells to later children. Readers are reacting with surprise that decades-old pregnancies, even ones ending at six weeks, can leave a lasting genetic imprint.