![]() This means that the genes the fetus inherits from mom have to not only provide for the current fetus, but also try to keep mom alive and healthy and make sure there are resources left over for a potential future pregnancy. ![]() Moms have to use their bodies to help the fetus grow during pregnancy while dads don’t. Conflict over which blueprint to follow for fetal growth and development is the essence of the genetic conflict that occurs during pregnancy. This means there are contrasting and sometimes conflicting blueprints for how to build the new individual. The genes a fetus gets from each parent carry slightly different instructions for development. Pregnancy is generally thought of as a period when a new individual is created from a unified blend of genes from their parents. However, even though genetic conflict is normal during pregnancy, it can play a role in pregnancy complications and developmental disorders when left unchecked. While this may sound like the beginning of a thriller, this genetic conflict is a normal part of pregnancy, leading to typical growth and development both during pregnancy and across an individual’s lifetime – something my research focuses on. But this belief obscures a more interesting truth about pregnancy – the mother and the fetus may not be peacefully coexisting in the same body at all.Īt the most fundamental level, there is a conflict between the interests of the parent and fetus. Often, these celebrations implicitly assume that pregnancy is cooperative and mutually beneficial to both the parent and the fetus. There are many opportunities to celebrate the 40-week transition to parenthood.
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