Pregnancy 'makes women live longer'

Scientists believe they may have unlocked the secret of why women tend to live longer than men.

It is all down to motherhood. The cells from the developing baby pass into the mother's bone marrow during the early stages of pregnancy.

The scientists say these cells may rejuvenate the mother's own, repair damage and fight disease, prolonging her life. The findings, in today's Lancet, could explain why women who have had children are less likely to develop arthritis, multiple sclerosis and breast cancer.

Professor Nick Fisk, a specialist in foetal medicine

at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, said they have found that stem cells from the foetus are stored in the mother's bone marrow and some had changed into bone.

All the women in the study who had sons had male stem cells in their bone marrow.

Professor Fisk said: "Every time a woman gets pregnant she gets a shower of stem cells that can fight disease."

He said more research needed to be done to find out if the stem cells in the mother's body protect against some disease but contribute to the cause of others.