Scientists at Cambridge have unveiled a fascinating mechanism where fetuses use a paternal gene to control the mother’s nutrient release during pregnancy.

This “remote control” system involves hormonal signals from the placenta, which ensure the fetus grows optimally by altering the mother’s metabolic processes. Remarkably, this battle for nutrients is a delicate balance, crucial not just for fetal growth but also for the mother’s health and her future reproductive potential.

Nutritional Control in Pregnancy

Cambridge scientists have discovered that fetuses use a gene inherited from their father to influence their mother’s body into providing more nutrients during pregnancy.

This creates a kind of “nutritional tug of war,” where the unborn baby ‘remote controls’ its mother’s metabolism to maximize its growth, while the mother’s body balances her own need to maintain health. The mother must ensure enough glucose and fats remain available for her energy needs, to sustain the pregnancy, support breastfeeding, and allow for future pregnancies.

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