Surely all of you have to be at least slightly familiar with “fetal origins of disease” theory by now? Earlier this year, I read The Gift of Health, The Prenatal Prescription, and Program Your Baby’s Health (all linked to the Nightstand post in which I mentioned it). All three of the aforementioned books were written by academics in the field of fetal origins of disease or “prenatal programming” and all three were focused on exploring and applying the science of how fetal environment (especially a mother’s nutrition, exposures, and mental health during pregnancy) affects the later development of offspring (including their risk of chronic disease later in life).
Annie Murphy Paul’s Origins: How the Nine Months before Birth Shape the Rest of our Lives is different from the above in several key ways. Murphy Paul is a journalist instead of an academic. She writes of her own experiences instead of prescribing someone else’s experience. And she makes fetal origins interesting (maybe even for someone who doesn’t make a living of caring for pregnant women).
Origins is divided into nine chapters, one for each of the nine months of the author’s second pregnancy, and each chapter details a different aspect of prenatal environment: the burgeoning science of prenatal influences, the impact of prenatal nutrition, how maternal stress affects the unborn child, toxic exposure during pregnancy, the differences between boys and girls in utero, how maternal psychological state impacts the fetus, how prenatal behavior may be capable of breaking “generational curses” of disease, societal interest in the health of pregnant women, and the amazing unconscious communication between baby and mother.
Very little of what I read in Origins was new information to me. I am, after all, a dietitian who focused a fair bit on maternal and fetal health during my formal schooling and in my continuing education afterwards. I work with pregnant women and young children on a daily basis. I have read journal articles as well as several books written for the general public on fetal origins of disease. Nonetheless, I found Annie Murphy Paul’s treatment of the subject to be fair and engaging. I didn’t slog through the repeated information like I have with some other books on the subject – I enjoyed the fresh look of a layperson’s perspective.
And I have a feeling that others who are interested in science and/or health would enjoy this book too.
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Popular science/health
Synopsis: The author explores the science of prenatal origins, using her own pregnancy as a frame for her exploration of the topic.
Recommendation: A wonderful introduction to the science of prenatal origins for the interested layperson. Engaging enough that anyone will enjoy it.