Amniotic fluid: providing 'milk' for the fetus?
Happy Imbolc !
Today is the Celtic holiday of Imbolc, the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. A time to celebrate the upcoming spring and the ‘fertility’ it brings.
HAPPY IMBOLC !
The word “Imbolc” originates from the Old Irish “i mbolg,” meaning “in the belly,” a reference to the pregnant ewes that foreshadow the coming abundance of spring. It was originally a pagan festival associated with the lambing season (the arrival of fresh sheep milk after a period of food shortage) and the fertility goddess Brigid. She is a pagan Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft. A Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and of the Hearth. She brings fertility to the land and its people and is closely connected to midwives and new-born babies. She is the Triple Goddess, but at Imbolc she is in her Maiden aspect.
My past newsletter featured feed for infants, and the benefits of Mom’s milk.
Baby Formula: when we cannot use Mom's, what is best?
Breast Milk does shed vax proteins, dumping them into the infant. There no longer is any doubt.
Now a new study looks at the fluid filling the protective sac surrounding the fetus while in the womb. They learned that the composition and proteins in the amniotic fluid (AF) do change over time to match the needs of the developing fetus.
Milk for the fetus
The fetus ‘inhales’ and ingests AF and, conversely, exhales and eructates its own fluids, along with urinary elimination, back into the AF. This all occurs separately from the fetal vascular space, which is instead interchanging directly with the placenta.
Amniotic Fluid proteins that participate in the coagulation cascade change throughout pregnancy in both human and nonhuman primates. AF increases blood clotting by phospholipids and other proteins that help regulate coagulation, especially as the pregnancy approaches term.
Abstract Background: Amniotic fluid (AF) plays a key role in fetal development, yet the evolving composition of AF and its effects on hemostasis and thrombosis are poorly understood. Objectives: To characterize the procoagulant properties of AF as a function of gestation in humans and nonhuman primates. Methods: We analyzed the proteomes, lipidomes, and procoagulant properties of AF obtained by amniocentesis from rhesus macaque and human pregnancies at gestational age-matched time points. Results: When added to human plasma, both rhesus and human AF accelerated clotting time and fibrin generation. We identified proteomic modules associated with clotting time and enriched for coagulation-related pathways. Proteins known to be involved in hemostasis were highly correlated with each other, and their intensity of expression varied across gestation in both rhesus and humans. Inhibition of the contact pathway did not affect the procoagulant effect of AF. Blocking tissue factor pathway inhibitor reversed the ability of AF to block the generation of activated factor X. The prothrombinase activity of AF was inhibited by phospholipid inhibitors. The levels of phosphatidylserine in AF were inversely correlated with clotting time. AF promoted platelet activation and secretion in plasma. Conclusion. Overall, our findings reveal that the addition of AF to plasma enhances coagulation in a manner dependent on phospholipids as well as the presence of proteases and other proteins that directly regulate coagulation. We describe a correlation between clotting time and expression of coagulation proteins and phosphatidylserine in both rhesus and human AF, supporting the use of rhesus models for future studies of AF biology. - CJ Yang, et al.
From the researchers:
"Babies born prematurely miss out on critical weeks developing within amniotic fluid, But if we have a better understanding of amniotic fluid, how it develops and what properties are valuable for what functions, that opens up many new possibilities for creating new therapies."
"Through our research, our team is learning that amniotic fluid may be a critical precursor to breast milk—almost like 'pre-term' milk for a fetus in utero. With that analogy, could we eventually develop a formula that's fit for preterm babies that mimics amniotic fluid, aiding in growth and development and protecting babies from complications of being born prematurely?"
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-amniotic-fluid-properties-uncovers-role
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REFERENCES
CJ Yang, et al. Characterization of the procoagulant phenotype of amniotic fluid across gestation in rhesus macaques and humans. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Volume 9, Issue 1, 102676
Hi Laura.
This article is a fascinating mix of culture and science!
I couldn't help but to recall that some ingestable anti-aging supplements sold on television here in Japan are openly marketed as derived from placenta. I feel slightly queasy when one such commercial pops up, complete with paid youthful-looking elderly actors touting the products. As a linguist, I chalked up my unease to the typical Japanese consumer not being familiar with the 'exotic' non-Japanese medical term 'placenta' used in the marketing. That being said, I had no idea of any studies regarding real health benefits. As I've slowly found out with loss of fluid in my knee, so much snake oil is being aimed at one of the world's fastest aging populations.
Out of curiosity, I ran a Perplexity Pro search for the names of those consumer items and came up with the following ...
"Several Japanese supplements containing placenta and using the word in their product names are available on the market. Here are some notable examples:
Dr. Select Placenta Drink 300000: A beauty drink containing placenta extract, collagen, and other ingredients to promote beauty and health.
Beauty Miracle Placenta: A capsule supplement containing pig placenta extract, fish collagen, hyaluronic acid, and other beauty-enhancing ingredients.
Placenta C Jelly: A jelly-type supplement containing placenta extract, collagen, and various beauty ingredients, available in 31-bottle packs for a month's supply.
Metabolic The Placenta Premium: A dietary supplement in capsule form, containing placenta, collagen, hyaluronic acid, elastin, and royal jelly.
DHC Pure Fresh Placenta: A supplement made from domestic placenta, designed to be easily absorbed.
Maruman PLACENTA Premium: A supplement containing placenta extract, various vitamins, and biologically active substances.
Royal Jelly with Placenta: A capsule supplement combining fermented placenta and royal jelly.
These products demonstrate the popularity of placenta-based supplements in the Japanese market, with many emphasizing beauty, anti-aging, and health benefits."
Another query response said, "It's important to note that many health authorities, including Health Canada and the FDA, have not authorized human placenta products for consumption due to potential health risks. The use of human-derived ingredients in cosmetics is also prohibited in the European Union due to concerns about disease transmission".
The FDA? Or snake-oil salesmen? I feel like I'm caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Thanks for pointing to one sane direction of research.
Cheers Laura.