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Incurable Motherhood

by Vicki Thorn 

A priest friend who is now with the Lord used to always say, “Motherhood is incurable!”

The more I discover about how God made us, the more it is obvious that this priest was absolutely right. And not only is motherhood incurable, it might even be good for us!

I haven’t, however, seen any cards that said, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom – someday my cells may treat your tumors.” Or, “Happy Mother’s Day ... Because you nursed me, you are less likely to get breast cancer or diabetes or cardiovascular disease.” Fanciful musings, but true facts.

Mothers carry cells from every child they ever conceive, through a phenomenon called fetal and maternal microchimerism. Early on in pregnancy, some of the unborn child’s cells cross the placenta into the mother’s body, and vice versa, though the exact moment of this exchange is unknown. We know that the cells stay in the mother’s body at least 27 years, and that maternal cells have been discovered in offspring up to 47 years after birth.

If we women have chosen a mate whose immune system complements ours (see a previous Headline Bistro column on how the birth control Pill can affect this choice), the cells of our children seem to be reparative in terms of our health. In other words, these cells turn up everywhere in our bodies, including our brains, and they appear to be trying to repair damage.

What an incredible thing to contemplate! Of course, in the old days, this would have been a blessing and a necessity. Purely from the perspective of survival of the species, it was necessary for mothers to survive to care for the young. As Dr. Diana Bianchi, one of the major researchers on this topic, has said, “The fetus has a vested interest in keeping the mother healthy.” Dr. Bianchi further noted that women with autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis often find their condition improves during pregnancy.

At a talk I gave at a major university, an oncologist shared about ongoing research with women who had tumors. If the father of a woman’s child had an immune system quite different than hers, they removed the cells of her offspring from her body and transplanted them into her tumor. The tumor would disappear without damage to her body. This treatment research continues and is reported in certain medical journals.

Not only are mothers possibly reaping such physical benefits, but our children may be, too. There is research that indicates in some situations, the cells of the mother seem to cluster in trouble spots in an infant’s body, as if to repair the problem. Research dealing with Type 1 diabetes supported a conclusion that “the maternal cells in the pancreases of diabetics try to regenerate the diseased organ.”

Women who breastfeed their babies also get ongoing benefits in terms of protection against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other serious health conditions.

While breast cancer can still occur, there is significant research data on the protective nature of breastfeeding. But this is about more than the act of breastfeeding protecting us. It appears that our children may be given protection against cancer as well. The ongoing research on the incredible properties of breast milk continues. Researchers in Sweden recently announced that a substance found in breast milk had successfully killed 40 types of cancer cells.

Finally, beyond these very personal connections between mothers and their children, it’s mindboggling to realize that we all – women and men – carry mitochondria passed down our maternal line. Mitochondria – the energy bodies in our cells – have mutated little over the generations and can be traced to one of seven lines of women, with some research hinting of the possibility of an Eve figure.

In his book The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science that Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry, Bryan Sykes, professor of genetics at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University, writes that “almost all people of native European descent, where ever they live throughout the world, can trace their ancestry back to one of seven women.”

“Therefore,” Sykes states, “(mitochondrial DNA) traces an unbroken maternal line back through time for generation upon generation far further back than any written record.”

You can even check to see which line you descended from, if you want to part with a little money. National Geographic has a program to determine both your maternal line and, if you’re male, your paternal line (if you happen to be a guy!)

Motherhood is much more complex that we’ve ever been told. There are ramifications that continue long beyond the parting of the infant from our bodies.

In this week when we celebrate our mothers, perhaps we should stop and ponder that the Blessed Mother was truly the Tabernacle of the Lord. There is no reason to think that the rules of nature were suspended in her case – she carried the cells of her Beloved Son throughout her life!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!

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(The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Headline Bistro or the Knights of Columbus.)