The development of the fetal brain structure depends on the chemistry that crosses the placenta
from mother to child…
Fear, the root of all negative emotion, is the instinctive reaction we have to a threat to our security
or survival. For babies, even young fetuses, a lack of love, attention or recognition of their needs,
causes a fearful response. Whether the threat is incorrectly perceived or actual, the fear response
is the same. Since the very young are most vulnerable and have few or no resources to take
control of their lives, damage can be devastating and permanent. Frederick Wirth,M.D., in
Prenatal Parenting, describes how neuropeptides (brain chemistry) affect the unborn. He says
they alter “the size, number and connectivity of the nerve cells,” which “will affect how he reacts to
every experience he will face in life.” Feeling powerlessness to get their needs met, people with
traumatic beginnings live in survival mode. What’s more, the human body reacts not only to
threats to its survival, but to attacks on the ego, adding to the volatility of an already threatened
personality. Preemies are particularly vulnerable, as technical intervention for survival preempts
the need for bonding and physical contact with the mother.
When a pregnant mother is in a state of high stress, her heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing
rate increase. If her brain is filled with a cacophony of conflict, complaint, judgment, blame, selfrighteousness
and/or self-recrimination based upon unfulfilled need and accompanying rage,
fear, guilt, resentment, jealousy, or other consuming emotion, the same feelings pass
instantaneously to the fetus. Whatever threatens her, threatens him. This becomes a double
threat to his survival when sustained or frequent. If his mother is distracted for extended periods
of time, she is less attuned to his needs for a safe, loving environment. Feelings of abandonment
cause more of the same chemistry he is getting from his mother to flood his already overloaded
developing brain and body. This can seriously affect his personality for his lifetime, crippling his
ability to receive and give love, empathy, compassion, sympathy, mercy. Safety and nurturance
established during his development are the foundations for trust, trust in the universe to provide
for him and in his abilities to get his needs met. Without the cornerstone of trust, he may
anticipate every encounter in life as a threat or attack to which he will automatically defend
himself, possibly reacting with aggression. This inborn and learned behavior becomes the roots of
violence in a society where living in a swamp of abuse, addiction and denial becomes the norm.
We then become so used to familiar aspects of the stink of life that we fail to smell it.
Once the fetus develops in an environment of anxiety, depression, or ambivalence, his birth is
often fraught with complications, such as premature delivery, low-birth weight, posterior
presentation, or fetal distress indicating the necessity for a cesarean. If the mother fears the
delivery, or anticipates responsibilities as burdens afterward, she won’t be relaxed. Tight muscles
keep the birth canal and cervix from providing passage. All during her pregnancy as well as
throughout the early parenting years, the quality of the mother’s acceptance or rejection of her
child makes a huge difference. Her ability to meet her child’s needs is seriously impacted by the
father’s support. If she is threatened by him, or by his absence, or if he is emotionally unavailable
or not secure or mature enough for fatherhood, mother and child will suffer. Maternal anxieties
therefore can lead to an emotionally disturbed infant.
After birth, a loving, responsive mother can ameliorate earlier threats and grievances. She can
avoid separation anxiety or feelings of abandonment after delivery by providing her baby with
positive bonding, nursing on demand, physical contact and other forms of nurturing. When met
after birth with insults to his vulnerability and integrity, a newborn will withdraw emotionally,
making less and less effort to communicate, especially if he has had a stressful womb
experience. He will make less eye contact. He may even kick and cry less, giving up in
resignation or internalizing rage that will come out later at ’opportune’ times. For the child born
with high and prolonged stress and large amounts of neuropeptides and neurohormones present
in the body, the only things that seem to provide relief from his chemically over-stimulated
condition are loud and intensely stimulating music, drugs or violence to self or others. Schoolwork
or other tasks requiring, self-discipline, concentration and memory will be exceedingly difficult.
In order to create a positive environment for the fetus, the mother can seek out the support she
needs, during and after pregnancy. If she needs communication, relationship or parenting
counseling, she can look to guidance from a social worker, a religious counselor, a therapist, a
support group or shelter. If she has problems with an addiction, or is a co-dependant to an
addicted person, help is available through Alcoholics Anonymous or similar groups that provide
support for addictions.
Smoking should be avoided completely. Smoke automatically cuts down the amount of oxygen
crossing the placenta. Alcohol use, too, should be avoided or minimized. Organic and whole
foods are preferable for the pregnant or nursing mother. Exercise is important. What may not be
so obvious is that the unborn child thrives on positive thought and sweet talk directed to him. He
likes the pregnant belly to be stroked gently and appreciates songs and visualizations of loving
images directed to him. These add to his feeling of comfort and well-being. Practices such as this
can make the difference between a healthy or emotionally disturbed child, and later, adult.