During pregnancy, cells are exchanged between the mother and fetus via the placenta. When the baby is born, some of those cells remain intact in the mother’s body. For decades.[1] Perhaps forever. The phenomenon is called microchimerism. The exchange creates what the leading geneticist Dr. Diana Bianchi calls a “permanent connection which contributes to the survival of both individuals.” Cells have been found in subsequent siblings, too. If you have a younger brother or sister, they may have your cells within them, and, if they are older, their cells may be within you. Maternal cells also
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