A child may get two sets of DNA from their mom and one from their father, for example. This means it’s possible for a parent with chimerism to pass on two or more sets of DNA to their child. This includes in the sexual reproductive organs. But it’s possible for it to happen elsewhere in the body.
Artificial chimerismĪ similar kind of chimerism can occur when a person receives a blood transfusion, stem cell transplant, or bone marrow transplant from another person and absorbs some of that person’s cells. They may remain in a mother’s body or a child’s body for a decade or more following childbirth.
These cells may travel into the mother’s or fetus’s bloodstream and migrate to different organs. The opposite may also happen, where a fetus absorbs a few cells from its mother. In humans, chimerism most commonly occurs when a pregnant woman absorbs a few cells from her fetus. Each has a slightly different cause and may result in different symptoms. People may experience one of several types of chimerism.