Scientists said that it might happen because women with more than one partner tended to smoke and drink more.
^^^^ sounds more reasonable to me =)
i dont think that sperm from different men would have anything to do with it. Women dont get sick from immune reactions by having sex with genetically dissimilar partners. In fact women are sexually attracted through smell to genetically dissimilar men. The protein involved is called the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), and you may have heard of it in the context of organ transplants. To get a donor organ you have to have the same MHC type or your body will reject it. Women are sexually attracted to the smell of men with *different* MHC types, presumably this is a mechanism that helps prevent instances of inbreeding while also encouraging genetic heterogeneity (and hence genetic fitness). Obviously, more than any one factor ultimately leads to mate choice. And MHC smell is not something that women can necessarily conciously describe. But they smell it. If you ever see a woman gleefully sniffing some guys sweaty t-shirt, you can think of MHC =).
MHC Is also cool, because it is a system of proteins that changes to accomodate your exposure to various things through your life.
but back to the story....blood from the fetus does not cross the placenta and enter the woman's circulation. i don t konw tons about pre-eclampsia but i wasnt aware that it was due to an immune response typically.
