The evolutionary biology of spontaneous abortion in humans

Human mothers an efficient screening system to eliminate genetically abnormal embryos. However, the incidence of certain birth defects — most notably Down's syndrome — rises with maternal age. Conventional eplanations have focused on a rising production of defective zygotes; in contrast, an evo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam) 1997-11, Vol.12 (11), p.446-450
Main Author: Forbes, L.Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Management. Prenatal diagnosis
Medical sciences
Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Human mothers an efficient screening system to eliminate genetically abnormal embryos. However, the incidence of certain birth defects — most notably Down's syndrome — rises with maternal age. Conventional eplanations have focused on a rising production of defective zygotes; in contrast, an evolutionary approach suggest a relaxed maternal screen. Relaxed screening potentially explains the rising incidenee of chromosomal abnormalities in live-births, the incidence of normal embryos in spontaneous abortions, and the incidence of spontaneous abortions with maternal age. If true, then restoration of the screen may be possible, reducing the incidence of birth defects.
ISSN:0169-5347
1872-8383
DOI:10.1016/S0169-5347(97)01179-8