Again, i suppose it depends on the whole how the infection came to be. In Resident Evil Apocalypse, the zombies from the grave yard got up, some of them had been dead for a while, so perhaps infection can spread to the dead, perhaps via water osmosing through the soil and into the corpses?
The zombies in Resident Evil were not “infected.” They were exposed to a re-animating agent. Two completely different concepts.
Or maybe a woman who had not yet turned, but had been infected, aborted, and the infection had spread to her foetus, and once the foetus died, it reanimated.
That is a highly probable scenario. But I think the cause is more sinister than that. If you recall, the zombies in “Night of the Living Dead” were afraid of crosses. Since Romero intended DOTD to be a sequel to NOTLD, and if we maintain the continuity, then we have to admit a supernatural cause to the malediction.
But it raises another set of questions, can a zombie baby grow?
If one accepts a purely biological cause, that is probable. On the other hand, we really don’t know what the effects of the virus would be on the pituitary gland, or the myotic multiplication of cells.
Of the fast-moving zombie type (which we’ll call Class A), I would consider it not only probable, but possible (I’ll explain why shortly). Of the slow-moving zombie type (which we’ll call Class B), I theorize that it is altogether unlikely. The reason is evident - the slow moving type obviously has a deficiency in mitochondriatic generation, which is the energy source of all cell function, including growth. On the other hand, Class A zombies exhibit abundant proof of healthy mitochondria.
If one accepts a purely chemical cause (such as in “Return of the Living Dead” series, “Forest of the Dead,” and the “Resident Evil” series), then it would be altogether unlikely for the reason given above. Namely, every chemically-based zombification has always resulted in Class B zombies, hands down (unless my esteemed colleagues can produce a reputable case study otherwise).
If one accepts a supernatural cause, then I am inclined to reject infant growth as well, but not for the above reason. The supernatural cause is no doubt evil. The dead body is a mere vessel. It does not chomp away for the sake of nourishment (which would indicate a necessity for the cells of the body), but for the
sole purpose of causing death, destruction, and mayhem. See also, “Dead and Breakfast.”
If one accepts a biological + supernatural cause, as was the case in the “House of the Dead” series, then the possibility of infant growth increases once again, but not as high as for the purely biological cause. Again, this can be gleaned from the movement of the zombies in House of the Dead, which is like a drunk Class A zombie. We’ll call these “Class C” zombies.
Finally, we have our final category of zombies - those zombified by a physical alien presence (e.g., “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Slither,” “Puppetmaster,”
et al). We shouldn’t classify these on the basis of their movement/energy states, but rather on the 100% certainty that an infant from these types of zombies will grow, as the purpose of these alien creatures is to mature and reproduce. We shall call this unique species, “Class D” zombies.
Thank you for your attention.
Blessings
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