"Pinaglihi 'ata yan sa sama ng loob (His mother must have always been in a foul mood when she was pregnant), " we always hear people say of someone with a sour disposition. Don't dismiss that joke just yet. Scientists are now discovering that a baby's 9-months in the womb has a direct bearing on his mental and physical health come adulthood.
I was 2-months pregnant when my mom and I saw this Time Magazine issue about the science of fetal origins. I'm glad I read this when Mishca was still in my womb. Let this article by Anne Murphy Paul (dated October 4, 2010) inspire you to take better care of yourself and your baby even before your date with the stork. :)
Here's an excerpt:
Cancer. Heart disease. Obesity. Depression. Scientists can now trace adult health to the nine months before birth by ANNE MURPHY PAUL
What makes us the way we are? Why are some people predisposed to be anxious, overweight or asthmatic? How is it that some of us are prone to heart attacks, diabetes or high blood pressure?There's a list of conventional answers to these questions. We are the way we are because it's in our genes: the DNA we inherited at conception. We turn out the way we do because of our childhood experiences: how we were treated and what we took in, especially during those crucial first three years. Or our health and well-being stem from the lifestyle choices we make as adults: what kind of diet we consume, how much exercise we get.
But there's another powerful source of influence you may not have considered: your life as a fetus. The kind and quantity of nutrition you received in the womb; the pollutants, drugs and infections you were exposed to during gestation; your mother's health, stress level and state of mind while she was pregnant with you — all these factors shaped you as a baby and a child and continue to affect you to this day.
(Click the link above to read the full article)
