Dear Zombie Master: Zombie Babies?

by Monika
(Georgia, USA)

Dear Zombie Master,

In Dawn of the Dead 2004, why does the pregnant lady live for so long without turning into a zombie? And why does her baby come out a zombie
when technically a mother and fetus don’t share blood?

I love zombie movies, but this made no sense to me.

Monika

Monika,

To your first question, there are several instances of zombification taking longer for some individuals than others. The best example is Roger in the original Dawn of the Dead (1978). Just like any other epidemic/pandemic, each individual case has the same symptoms but they can occur at different rates.

Now to your second question. While "technically" a mother and fetus do not share blood, they actually, although "sharing" may not be the correct term. This is seen in "Hemolytic Disease" which is caused by the entry of fetal blood cells that are Rh positive into the mother's blood that happens to be Rh negative. This causes an immune response in which the mother produces anti-bodies that then cross the placenta and start destroying the fetal red blood cells. You also have cases where the mother has used certain drugs (heroin, cocaine, etc.) that also cross the placenta and affect the unborn child. I have no problem believing that an unborn child can become infected, die in the womb and "born" as a thriving member of the undead.

Good hunting and aim high,

The Zombie Master