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Why the pregnancies fail

Theory 1: Lack of genetic diversity

A lack of genetic diversity (inbreeding) leads to abnormal births. Because the Others are a small group (actual size unknown), they had reached a point at which they required an influx of new genes.

Evidence

• There seems to be a highly restricted number of people on the island.

• In response to the pregnancy death crisis, Ben tried to solve the wrong problem. He imported Juliet Burke to try to discover why the existing women of the Island could not survive pregnancy. Juliet did not see the problem either; she continued to search for the solution within the population. All Juliet's original work was with couples of the Others.

• According to Wikipedia [1] genetic abnormalities result in miscarriage 95% of the time.

• Both Claire and Sun had successful pregnancies on island, indicating that it is something about the Others that makes them unable to survive pregnancy.

Counter-evidence

• This problem is easily solved by recruiting people from off island.
• Ben was concerned about Alex dying if Karl got her pregnant, and she is from a different gene pool than Karl.
• This does not explain the role of the immune system in the miscarriages that Juliet mentions in "The Other Woman".
• This would explain why the child would be miscarried, but not why the mother would also die in every case.

Theory 2: The Island's healing properties cause an immune reaction to pregnancy

Evidence

• In "The Other Woman", Juliet tells Ben that the immune systems of the women on the Island attacks the fetus (as if it were a parasite).
• The healing properties of the island might be the result of the Island's influence in making the immune systems of island residents hyperactive.
• This explains why all the pregnancies terminate at around the same time, regardless of who the parents are.

• Women can conceive on the island, as demonstrated by Sun's pregnancy and subsequent confirmation that she conceived on island with the aid of an improved Jin. However the island's unusual healing properties are the cause of the problems. Many women display an immunological response to their babies, in effect "rejecting" the fetus as a foreign invader. In fact in the real world, an estimated 20%-30% -- about 1 in 4 -- pregnancies end in miscarriage. The heightened healing properties of the island (i.e. improved immunological response to injury and disesases like cancer), unfortunately has the side effect of causing pre-eclampsia for pregnant women on the island. The end result is a 100% rejection rate, taking the lives of both mother and baby.

Counter-evidence

• Why was Sun not affected or Claire/Aaron? Perhaps prolonged exposure is required?
• This would explain why the child would be miscarried, but not why the mother would also die in every case.

Theory 3: The "will" of the island

The Island has the capacity to heal (e.g.: John Locke's inability to walk); it also has the capacity to harm (e.g: Ben Linus' spinal tumor). The Island normally depends on the leader of the inhabitants to manage the population but, when it detected a lack of genetic diversity, began making it impossible for women of its inhabitants to survive pregnancy. The Island could have simply caused miscarriages, but it chose a more severe warning.

When the Island is once again satisfied with the diversity of its inhabitants' gene pool, normal pregnancies will occur among couples of whom at least one member is "new."

Evidence

• This would explain why the child would be miscarried AND why the mother would also die.

The Island is punishing the Others for becoming dependent on technology. Ben claims that Jacob doesn't like technology, but the Others used the DHARMA facilities, such as:

• The Swan (now destroyed)
• The Barracks (now damaged and at least temporarily deserted)
• The Flame (now destroyed)
• The Arrow (now abandoned)
• The Hydra (now abandoned)
• The Looking Glass (now (at least) partially flooded).

The Island and its special powers need not be studied, only appreciated. When the Others purged the DHARMA Initiative, Jacob believed that Ben would be the great leader that would return the Others to the way of living that is completely natural. When Ben deviated from Jacob's plan, Jacob punished him the worst way possible, constant reminders of his own mothers death. Locke is now the new chosen leader, explaining why Jacob asked to be helped by him. The key to solving the Island's pregnancy issues is to appease Jacob with a return to natural living and the complete abandonment of the DHARMA facilities.

Counter-evidence

• Certainly there are more straightforward ways for the island to kill people?

Theory 4: The mothers are much older than they appear.

Evidence

• In his recruitment presentation to Juliet, Alpert shows her a scan of a uterus he says belongs to a 26 year old, which Juliet says is that of a woman in her 70s.
• Perhaps while the people on the island are protected from aging and disease there are limits to the length of time the endometrium will regenerate.