Miscarriage, Psychogenic Abortions, and Preterm Labour
animals rarely behave “for the good of the species.” Instead, they typically act for the good of their own genetic legacy and that of their close relatives. (Location 2312)
⇒ 033 🐣Evolution
If the female completes her pregnancy, the kids will promptly be killed by this new guy. So, making the best of a bad situation, evolution has sculpted this response to at least save the further calories that would be devoted to the futile pregnancy—terminate it and ovulate a few days later. (Location 2319)
Trouble seems to occur during stress as a result of repeated powerful activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), causing increased secretion of Norepinephrine and Epinephrine. Studies of a large number of different species show that these two hormones will decrease blood flow through the uterus—dramatically, in some cases. Exposing animals to something psychologically stressful (for example, a loud noise in the case of pregnant sheep, or the entrance of a strange person into the room in which a pregnant rhesus monkey is housed) will cause a similar reduction in blood flow, decreasing the delivery of oxygen (called hypoxia) to the fetus. (Location 2331)
see also
Females, Lenghtened Cycles and Amenorrhea
Tags: science medicine biology
Superlink: 091 🏃Body and Medicine, 090 🌱Biology, 051 ☣Neurobiology
Source
Created: 08-09-22 13:13