Turkish doctor helps NASA explore childbirth in space
While science has yet to determine whether humanity’s first “space-born” baby is possible, a Turkish physician is helping lay the groundwork for answering that question.
Doctor Begüm Mathyk, a faculty member in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Florida and chair of NASA’s OSDR Women’s Reproductive Analysis Working Group, is conducting research aimed at safeguarding the health of female astronauts during future space missions, according to a report by daily Türkiye. Her work also explores the largely uncharted field of human reproduction beyond Earth.
Asked whether future generations might one day include babies born in space, Mathyk said science has not yet reached a definitive answer.
“Today, there is no clear answer to that question,” she said. “We have very limited knowledge about pregnancy, fetal development and childbirth in space. There are fish species that have successfully reproduced in space, but human biology is far more complex.”
