I have searched online multiple times to see whether a pregnant mother’s blood and her fetus’ blood are kept separate. I’ve even looked in textbooks, and often it’s implied but never said outright and plainly in those terms.
I’ve looked online, but I’ve not yet found a reputable source that spells it out clearly.
Are a pregnant mother’s blood and her fetus’ blood kept separate? Why or why not?
In: 68
They don’t always stay completely separate. I mean yes, the blood circulatory system is kept separate enough for the mother and baby to maintain different blood supplies, often different blood types. Certain of the babies cells and DNA do enter the mother’s bloodstream and can remain there for years. Also, the blood can mix during procedures like amniocentesis or vaginal bleeding. There can also be “leaky spots” that can allow exchange. So technically they are two different blood systems, but there can definitely be very small amounts of mingling.
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