TEDGlobal 2011
Annie Murphy Paul: What we learn before we're born
Annie Murphy Paul: Det vi lærer før vi bliver født
Filmed:
Readability: 5
2,517,731 views
En lille prøve: Hvornår begynder læringen? Svar: Før vi er født. Videnskabelig forfatter Annie Murphy Paul taler gennem ny research der viser hvor meget vi lærer i livmoderen -- fra tonefaldet i vores modersmål til det der snart bliver vores yndlingsmad.
Annie Murphy Paul - Science author
Annie Murphy Paul investigates how life in the womb shapes who we become. Full bio
Annie Murphy Paul investigates how life in the womb shapes who we become. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
My subject today is learning.
0
0
3000
Mit emne i dag er indlæring.
00:18
And in that spirit, I want to spring on you all a pop quiz.
1
3000
3000
Og i den ånd, vil jeg kaste jer ud i en quiz.
00:21
Ready?
2
6000
2000
Klar?
00:23
When does learning begin?
3
8000
3000
Hvornår begynder indlæringen?
00:26
Now as you ponder that question,
4
11000
2000
Mens du nu grubler over det spørgsmål,
00:28
maybe you're thinking about the first day of preschool
5
13000
2000
tænker du måske på den første dag i daginstitution,
00:30
or kindergarten,
6
15000
2000
eller børnehaven,
00:32
the first time that kids are in a classroom with a teacher.
7
17000
3000
den første gang børn kommer ind i et klasselokale med en lærer.
00:35
Or maybe you've called to mind the toddler phase
8
20000
3000
Eller måske tænker du på småbarns fasen,
00:38
when children are learning how to walk and talk
9
23000
3000
når børn lærer hvordan man går og snakker
00:41
and use a fork.
10
26000
2000
og bruger en gaffel.
00:43
Maybe you've encountered the Zero-to-Three movement,
11
28000
3000
Måske har du mødte nul til tre bevægelsen,
00:46
which asserts that the most important years for learning
12
31000
3000
som påstår at de vigtigste år for at lære ting
00:49
are the earliest ones.
13
34000
2000
er de tidligste.
00:51
And so your answer to my question would be:
14
36000
3000
Så dit svar på mit spørgsmål ville være:
00:54
Learning begins at birth.
15
39000
2000
Indlæring begynder ved fødslen.
00:56
Well today I want to present to you
16
41000
2000
Men i dag vil jeg vise jer
00:58
an idea that may be surprising
17
43000
3000
en ide der måske overrasker
01:01
and may even seem implausible,
18
46000
3000
og måske endda virker usandsynlig,
01:04
but which is supported by the latest evidence
19
49000
2000
men som bliver understøttet af de nyeste beviser
01:06
from psychology and biology.
20
51000
3000
fra psykologi og biologi.
01:09
And that is that some of the most important learning we ever do
21
54000
3000
Og at det er at den vigtigste indlæring vi nogensinde gør
01:12
happens before we're born,
22
57000
2000
sker før vi bliver født,
01:14
while we're still in the womb.
23
59000
3000
mens vi stadig er i livmoderen.
01:17
Now I'm a science reporter.
24
62000
2000
Nu er jeg en videnskabelig journalist.
01:19
I write books and magazine articles.
25
64000
2000
Jeg skriver bøger og artikler i magasiner.
01:21
And I'm also a mother.
26
66000
2000
Og jeg er også en mor.
01:23
And those two roles came together for me
27
68000
3000
Og de to roller samlede sig for mig
01:26
in a book that I wrote called "Origins."
28
71000
3000
i en bog jeg skrev og kaldte "Origins".
01:29
"Origins" is a report from the front lines
29
74000
3000
"Origins" er en rapport fra frontlinjerne
01:32
of an exciting new field
30
77000
2000
af et spændende nyt felt
01:34
called fetal origins.
31
79000
2000
der hedder føtal oprindelse.
01:36
Fetal origins is a scientific discipline
32
81000
3000
Føtal oprindelse er en videnskabelig disciplin
01:39
that emerged just about two decades ago,
33
84000
3000
der startede for cirka to årtier siden,
01:42
and it's based on the theory
34
87000
3000
og det er baseret på teorien om
01:45
that our health and well-being throughout our lives
35
90000
3000
at vores helbred og velbefindende gennem livet
01:48
is crucially affected
36
93000
2000
er afgørende påvirket
01:50
by the nine months we spend in the womb.
37
95000
3000
af de ni måneder vi bruger i livmoderen.
01:53
Now this theory was of more than just intellectual interest to me.
38
98000
4000
Nu er denne teori mere end bare intellektuelt interesse for mig.
01:57
I was myself pregnant
39
102000
2000
Jeg var selv gravid
01:59
while I was doing the research for the book.
40
104000
3000
da jeg lavede research for bogen.
02:02
And one of the most fascinating insights
41
107000
2000
Og en af de mest fascinerende indsigter
02:04
I took from this work
42
109000
2000
jeg tog med fra dette arbejde
02:06
is that we're all learning about the world
43
111000
3000
er at vi lærer alle om verden
02:09
even before we enter it.
44
114000
3000
før vi kommer ind i den.
02:12
When we hold our babies for the first time,
45
117000
2000
Når vi holder vores børn for første gang,
02:14
we might imagine that they're clean slates,
46
119000
3000
forestiller vi os måske at de er rene tavler,
02:17
unmarked by life,
47
122000
2000
umærkede af livet,
02:19
when in fact, they've already been shaped by us
48
124000
3000
selvom de faktisk, allerede er formet af os
02:22
and by the particular world we live in.
49
127000
4000
og af den bestemte verden vi lever i.
02:26
Today I want to share with you some of the amazing things
50
131000
2000
I dag vil jeg dele nogle fantastiske ting med jer,
02:28
that scientists are discovering
51
133000
2000
som videnskabsfolk finder ud af
02:30
about what fetuses learn
52
135000
2000
om hvad fostre lærer
02:32
while they're still in their mothers' bellies.
53
137000
3000
mens de stadig er i deres mor mave.
02:36
First of all,
54
141000
2000
For det første,
02:38
they learn the sound of their mothers' voices.
55
143000
3000
lærer de deres mors stemme.
02:41
Because sounds from the outside world
56
146000
3000
Fordi lyden fra den udefrakommende verden
02:44
have to travel through the mother's abdominal tissue
57
149000
3000
skal gå gennem moderens mavevæv
02:47
and through the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus,
58
152000
4000
og gennem fostervandet der omgiver fostret,
02:51
the voices fetuses hear,
59
156000
2000
er de stemmer som fostret hører,
02:53
starting around the fourth month of gestation,
60
158000
3000
begyndende ved cirka den fjerde måned af svangerskabsperioden,
02:56
are muted and muffled.
61
161000
2000
er dæmpede og dumpede.
02:58
One researcher says
62
163000
2000
En forsker siger
03:00
that they probably sound a lot like the the voice of Charlie Brown's teacher
63
165000
3000
at de nok lyder ret meget som stemmen på Søren Bruns lærer
03:03
in the old "Peanuts" cartoon.
64
168000
3000
i den gamle "Radiserne" tegneserie.
03:06
But the pregnant woman's own voice
65
171000
3000
Men den gravide kvindes egen stemme
03:09
reverberates through her body,
66
174000
2000
giver genklang gennem hendes krop,
03:11
reaching the fetus much more readily.
67
176000
3000
og når fostret mere intakt.
03:14
And because the fetus is with her all the time,
68
179000
3000
Og fordi fostret er sammen med hende hele tiden,
03:17
it hears her voice a lot.
69
182000
3000
hører det stemmen meget.
03:20
Once the baby's born, it recognizes her voice
70
185000
3000
Når først barnet er født, genkender det hendes stemme
03:23
and it prefers listening to her voice
71
188000
2000
og det foretrækker at høre hendes stemme
03:25
over anyone else's.
72
190000
2000
frem for nogen andens.
03:27
How can we know this?
73
192000
2000
Hvordan ved vi dette?
03:29
Newborn babies can't do much,
74
194000
2000
Nyfødte børn kan ikke gøre meget,
03:31
but one thing they're really good at is sucking.
75
196000
3000
men en ting de er virkelig gode til er at sutte.
03:34
Researchers take advantage of this fact
76
199000
3000
Forskere udnytter dette faktum
03:37
by rigging up two rubber nipples,
77
202000
3000
til at lave to gummi brystvorter,
03:40
so that if a baby sucks on one,
78
205000
2000
så når barnet sutter på den ene,
03:42
it hears a recording of its mother's voice
79
207000
2000
hører det en optagelse af moderens stemme
03:44
on a pair of headphones,
80
209000
2000
gennem et par hovedtelefoner,
03:46
and if it sucks on the other nipple,
81
211000
2000
og hvis det sutter på den anden brystvorte,
03:48
it hears a recording of a female stranger's voice.
82
213000
4000
hører det en optagelse af en kvindelig fremmeds stemme.
03:52
Babies quickly show their preference
83
217000
3000
Børn viser hurtigt deres præference
03:55
by choosing the first one.
84
220000
3000
ved at vælge den første.
03:58
Scientists also take advantage of the fact
85
223000
3000
Forskere udnytter også det faktum
04:01
that babies will slow down their sucking
86
226000
2000
at børn nedsætter hastigheden af deres sutten
04:03
when something interests them
87
228000
2000
når der er noget der interesserer dem
04:05
and resume their fast sucking
88
230000
2000
og går ud fra at de sutter hurtigt
04:07
when they get bored.
89
232000
3000
når de keder sig.
04:10
This is how researchers discovered
90
235000
2000
Det er sådan forskere fandt ud af
04:12
that, after women repeatedly read aloud
91
237000
3000
at, efter kvinder flere gange læser højt
04:15
a section of Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" while they were pregnant,
92
240000
4000
af et afsnit af Dr. Seuss "The Cat in the Hat" mens de var gravide,
04:19
their newborn babies recognized that passage
93
244000
3000
genkender deres nyfødte barn den passage
04:22
when they hear it outside the womb.
94
247000
3000
når de hører den uden for livmoderen.
04:25
My favorite experiment of this kind
95
250000
3000
Mit yndlingseksperiment af denne slags
04:28
is the one that showed that the babies
96
253000
2000
er det der viser at børn
04:30
of women who watched a certain soap opera
97
255000
2000
af kvinder der så en bestemt tv-serie
04:32
every day during pregnancy
98
257000
3000
hver dag i deres graviditet
04:35
recognized the theme song of that show
99
260000
3000
genkendte sangen fra den serie
04:38
once they were born.
100
263000
3000
da de blev født.
04:41
So fetuses are even learning
101
266000
2000
Så fostre lærer endda
04:43
about the particular language that's spoken
102
268000
3000
om det bestemte sprog der bliver talt
04:46
in the world that they'll be born into.
103
271000
2000
i den verden de fødes ind i.
04:48
A study published last year
104
273000
3000
Et studie der blev udgivet sidste år
04:51
found that from birth, from the moment of birth,
105
276000
3000
fandt ud af, at fra fødslen, fra det øjeblik,
04:54
babies cry in the accent
106
279000
2000
græder børn med den accent
04:56
of their mother's native language.
107
281000
3000
som deres mors sprog har.
04:59
French babies cry on a rising note
108
284000
3000
Franske børn græder i en stigende tone
05:02
while German babies end on a falling note,
109
287000
3000
mens tyske børn ender på en faldende tone,
05:05
imitating the melodic contours
110
290000
2000
og imiterer de melodiske konturer
05:07
of those languages.
111
292000
2000
af disse sprog.
05:09
Now why would this kind of fetal learning
112
294000
2000
Men hvorfor ville denne form for foster læring
05:11
be useful?
113
296000
2000
være nyttig?
05:13
It may have evolved to aid the baby's survival.
114
298000
3000
Det er måske udviklet for at hjælpe barnet med at overleve.
05:16
From the moment of birth,
115
301000
2000
Fra det øjeblik de bliver født,
05:18
the baby responds most to the voice
116
303000
2000
reagerer barnet mest på stemmen
05:20
of the person who is most likely to care for it --
117
305000
2000
af den person der med størst sandsynlighed vil sørge for det --
05:22
its mother.
118
307000
2000
dets mor.
05:24
It even makes its cries
119
309000
2000
Det får endda sin gråd
05:26
sound like the mother's language,
120
311000
2000
til at lyde som moderens sprog,
05:28
which may further endear the baby to the mother,
121
313000
3000
hvilket nok får barnet til at være mere vellidt af moderen,
05:31
and which may give the baby a head start
122
316000
2000
og muligvis giver barnet det forspring
05:33
in the critical task
123
318000
2000
i den svære opgave
05:35
of learning how to understand and speak
124
320000
3000
at lære hvordan man forstår og taler
05:38
its native language.
125
323000
2000
dets modersmål.
05:40
But it's not just sounds
126
325000
2000
Men det er ikke kun lyde
05:42
that fetuses are learning about in utero.
127
327000
2000
som fostre lærer om i livmoderen.
05:44
It's also tastes and smells.
128
329000
3000
Det er også smag og dufte.
05:47
By seven months of gestation,
129
332000
2000
Ved syvmåneders alderen
05:49
the fetus' taste buds are fully developed,
130
334000
2000
er fostrets smagsløg fuldt udviklede,
05:51
and its olfactory receptors, which allow it to smell,
131
336000
3000
og dets lugte receptorer, der får det til at dufte,
05:54
are functioning.
132
339000
2000
virker.
05:56
The flavors of the food a pregnant woman eats
133
341000
3000
Smagen af den mad som den gravide kvinde spiser
05:59
find their way into the amniotic fluid,
134
344000
2000
finder deres vej ind i fostervandet,
06:01
which is continuously swallowed
135
346000
2000
der hele tiden bliver slugt
06:03
by the fetus.
136
348000
2000
af fosteret.
06:05
Babies seem to remember and prefer these tastes
137
350000
3000
Børn lader til at huske og foretrække disse smag
06:08
once they're out in the world.
138
353000
3000
når de kommer ud i verden.
06:11
In one experiment, a group of pregnant women
139
356000
3000
I et eksperiment, blev en gruppe gravide kvinder
06:14
was asked to drink a lot of carrot juice
140
359000
2000
bedt om at drikke en masse gulerodssaft
06:16
during their third trimester of pregnancy,
141
361000
3000
i deres tredje trimester af graviditeten,
06:19
while another group of pregnant women
142
364000
2000
mens en anden gruppe gravide kvinder
06:21
drank only water.
143
366000
2000
kun drak vand.
06:23
Six months later, the women's infants
144
368000
3000
Seks måneder senere, blev kvindernes småbørn
06:26
were offered cereal mixed with carrot juice,
145
371000
3000
givet en morgenmad blandet med gulerodssaft,
06:29
and their facial expressions were observed while they ate it.
146
374000
4000
og deres ansigtsudtryk blev observeret mens de spiste det.
06:33
The offspring of the carrot juice drinking women
147
378000
2000
Afkommet af de gulerodssaft drikkende kvinder
06:35
ate more carrot-flavored cereal,
148
380000
2000
spiste mere morgenmad med gulerodssmag,
06:37
and from the looks of it,
149
382000
2000
og det så ud til
06:39
they seemed to enjoy it more.
150
384000
2000
at de bedre kunne lide det.
06:41
A sort of French version of this experiment
151
386000
3000
En slags fransk version af dette eksperiment
06:44
was carried out in Dijon, France
152
389000
2000
blev foretaget i Dijon, Frankrig,
06:46
where researchers found
153
391000
2000
hvor forskere fandt ud af
06:48
that mothers who consumed food and drink
154
393000
3000
at mødre der indtog mad og drikke
06:51
flavored with licorice-flavored anise during pregnancy
155
396000
5000
krydret med lakridskrydret anis i deres graviditet
06:56
showed a preference for anise
156
401000
2000
viste en forkærlighed for anis
06:58
on their first day of life,
157
403000
2000
i deres første dag af deres liv,
07:00
and again, when they were tested later,
158
405000
2000
og igen, da de blev testet senere,
07:02
on their fourth day of life.
159
407000
2000
på fjerde dagen i deres liv.
07:04
Babies whose mothers did not eat anise during pregnancy
160
409000
4000
Børn hvis mødre ikke spiste anis i graviditeten
07:08
showed a reaction that translated roughly as "yuck."
161
413000
4000
viste en reaktion der blev fortolket som "adr".
07:12
What this means
162
417000
2000
Hvad dette betyder
07:14
is that fetuses are effectively being taught by their mothers
163
419000
2000
er at fostre bliver undervist af deres mødre
07:16
about what is safe and good to eat.
164
421000
3000
om hvad der er sikkert og godt at spise.
07:19
Fetuses are also being taught
165
424000
2000
Fostre bliver også undervist
07:21
about the particular culture that they'll be joining
166
426000
3000
om den særlige kultur som de kommer ud i
07:24
through one of culture's most powerful expressions,
167
429000
3000
gennem et af kulturens mest kraftfulde udtryksmuligheder,
07:27
which is food.
168
432000
2000
hvilket er mad.
07:29
They're being introduced to the characteristic flavors and spices
169
434000
3000
De bliver introduceret til dens karakteristiske smage og krydderier
07:32
of their culture's cuisine
170
437000
2000
af deres kulturs køkken
07:34
even before birth.
171
439000
3000
selv før de bliver født.
07:37
Now it turns out that fetuses are learning even bigger lessons.
172
442000
3000
Nu viser det sig, at fostre lærer endnu større ting.
07:40
But before I get to that,
173
445000
2000
Men før jeg fortæller om det,
07:42
I want to address something that you may be wondering about.
174
447000
4000
vil jeg tale til jer om noget som I måske undrer jer over.
07:46
The notion of fetal learning
175
451000
2000
Forestillingen om foster indlæring
07:48
may conjure up for you attempts to enrich the fetus --
176
453000
3000
fremtryller måske nogle forsøg på at berige jeres foster --
07:51
like playing Mozart through headphones
177
456000
2000
ligesom at spille Mozart gennem hovedtelefoner
07:53
placed on a pregnant belly.
178
458000
2000
placeret på en gravid mave.
07:55
But actually, the nine-month-long process
179
460000
3000
Men faktisk er den ni måneder lange process
07:58
of molding and shaping that goes on in the womb
180
463000
3000
af at forme og bearbejdning der foregår i livmoderen
08:01
is a lot more visceral and consequential than that.
181
466000
4000
er meget mere instinktiv og betydningsfuld end det.
08:05
Much of what a pregnant woman encounters in her daily life --
182
470000
4000
Meget af det en gravid kvinde oplever i hendes dagligdag --
08:09
the air she breathes,
183
474000
2000
den luft hun indånder,
08:11
the food and drink she consumes,
184
476000
2000
den mad og drikke hun indtager,
08:13
the chemicals she's exposed to,
185
478000
2000
de kemikalier hun er udsat for,
08:15
even the emotions she feels --
186
480000
2000
selv de følelser hun føler --
08:17
are shared in some fashion with her fetus.
187
482000
3000
deles på en eller anden måde med hendes foster.
08:20
They make up a mix of influences
188
485000
3000
De skaber en blanding af påvirkninger
08:23
as individual and idiosyncratic
189
488000
2000
der er lige så individuelle og særegne
08:25
as the woman herself.
190
490000
2000
som selve kvinden.
08:27
The fetus incorporates these offerings
191
492000
2000
Fostret integrerer disse ting
08:29
into its own body,
192
494000
2000
i sin egen krop,
08:31
makes them part of its flesh and blood.
193
496000
3000
gør dem til en del af sit kød og blod.
08:34
And often it does something more.
194
499000
2000
Og tit gør det mere.
08:36
It treats these maternal contributions
195
501000
3000
Det behandler disse moderlige bidrag
08:39
as information,
196
504000
2000
som information,
08:41
as what I like to call biological postcards
197
506000
2000
som jeg gerne kalder et biologisk postkort
08:43
from the world outside.
198
508000
3000
fra den udefrakommende verden.
08:46
So what a fetus is learning about in utero
199
511000
3000
Så det fostret lærer om mens det er i livmoderen
08:49
is not Mozart's "Magic Flute"
200
514000
2000
er ikke Mozarts "Tryllefløjten"
08:51
but answers to questions much more critical to its survival.
201
516000
4000
men svar på spørgsmål der er meget mere kritiske for dets overlevelse.
08:55
Will it be born into a world of abundance
202
520000
2000
Vil det blive født ind i verden af overflod
08:57
or scarcity?
203
522000
2000
eller mangel?
08:59
Will it be safe and protected,
204
524000
3000
Vil det være sikkert og beskyttet,
09:02
or will it face constant dangers and threats?
205
527000
3000
eller vil det møde konstante farer og trusler?
09:05
Will it live a long, fruitful life
206
530000
2000
Vil det leve et langt, frugtbart liv
09:07
or a short, harried one?
207
532000
3000
eller et kort, plaget liv?
09:10
The pregnant woman's diet and stress level in particular
208
535000
3000
Den gravide kvindes kost og især stressniveau
09:13
provide important clues to prevailing conditions
209
538000
3000
giver vigtige spor til de aktuelle forhold
09:16
like a finger lifted to the wind.
210
541000
3000
ligesom en finder løftet i vinden.
09:19
The resulting tuning and tweaking
211
544000
2000
Den resulterende tuning og justering
09:21
of a fetus' brain and other organs
212
546000
3000
af et fosters hjerne og andre organer
09:24
are part of what give us humans
213
549000
2000
er en del af det der giver os mennesker
09:26
our enormous flexibility,
214
551000
2000
vores enorme fleksibilitet,
09:28
our ability to thrive
215
553000
2000
vores evne til at trives
09:30
in a huge variety of environments,
216
555000
2000
i en kæmpe variation af miljøer,
09:32
from the country to the city,
217
557000
2000
fra landet til byen,
09:34
from the tundra to the desert.
218
559000
3000
fra tundraen til ørkenen.
09:37
To conclude, I want to tell you two stories
219
562000
2000
For at runde af, vil jeg fortælle jer to historier
09:39
about how mothers teach their children about the world
220
564000
3000
om hvordan mødre lærer deres børn om verden
09:42
even before they're born.
221
567000
3000
selv før de er født.
09:46
In the autumn of 1944,
222
571000
2000
I efteråret 1944,
09:48
the darkest days of World War II,
223
573000
3000
de mørkeste dage af anden verdenskrig,
09:51
German troops blockaded Western Holland,
224
576000
3000
blokerede tyske tropper det vestlige Holland,
09:54
turning away all shipments of food.
225
579000
3000
og fjernede alle madforsendelser.
09:57
The opening of the Nazi's siege
226
582000
2000
Åbningen på nazisternes belejring
09:59
was followed by one of the harshest winters in decades --
227
584000
3000
blev fulgt op af en af de hårdeste vintre i årtier --
10:02
so cold the water in the canals froze solid.
228
587000
4000
så det kolde vand i kanalerne frøs massivt til.
10:06
Soon food became scarce,
229
591000
2000
Snart var mad en knaphed,
10:08
with many Dutch surviving on just 500 calories a day --
230
593000
4000
og mange hollændere overlevede på kun 500 kalorier om dagen --
10:12
a quarter of what they consumed before the war.
231
597000
3000
en fjerdedel af det de var vant til inden krigen.
10:15
As weeks of deprivation stretched into months,
232
600000
3000
Som ugerne med berøvelse blev til måneder,
10:18
some resorted to eating tulip bulbs.
233
603000
3000
begyndte nogle at spise tulipan løg.
10:21
By the beginning of May,
234
606000
2000
I begyndelsen af maj,
10:23
the nation's carefully rationed food reserve
235
608000
2000
var nationens forsigtigt rationerede fødevarereserve
10:25
was completely exhausted.
236
610000
2000
total opbrugt.
10:27
The specter of mass starvation loomed.
237
612000
3000
Truslen om masse udsultning truede.
10:30
And then on May 5th, 1945,
238
615000
3000
Og så den 5 maj, 1945,
10:33
the siege came to a sudden end
239
618000
2000
sluttede belejringen pludseligt,
10:35
when Holland was liberated
240
620000
2000
da Holland blev befriet
10:37
by the Allies.
241
622000
2000
af de allierede.
10:39
The "Hunger Winter," as it came to be known,
242
624000
3000
"Sultens Vinter", som den blev kendt,
10:42
killed some 10,000 people
243
627000
2000
dræbte cirka 10.000 mennesker
10:44
and weakened thousands more.
244
629000
2000
og afkræftede flere tusinde.
10:46
But there was another population that was affected --
245
631000
3000
Men der var endnu en befolkning der blev påvirket --
10:49
the 40,000 fetuses
246
634000
2000
de 40.000 fostre
10:51
in utero during the siege.
247
636000
3000
der var i livmoderen under belejringen.
10:54
Some of the effects of malnutrition during pregnancy
248
639000
2000
Nogle af effekterne af underernæringen i graviditeten
10:56
were immediately apparent
249
641000
2000
blev med det samme tydelige
10:58
in higher rates of stillbirths,
250
643000
2000
i de forhøjede dødfødsler,
11:00
birth defects, low birth weights
251
645000
2000
misdannelser, lav fødselsvægt
11:02
and infant mortality.
252
647000
2000
og børnedødelighed.
11:04
But others wouldn't be discovered for many years.
253
649000
3000
Mens andre blev ikke opdaget i mange år.
11:07
Decades after the "Hunger Winter,"
254
652000
2000
Årtier efter "Sultens Vinter",
11:09
researchers documented
255
654000
2000
dokumenterede forskere
11:11
that people whose mothers were pregnant during the siege
256
656000
4000
at mennesker hvis mor var gravide under belejringen
11:15
have more obesity, more diabetes
257
660000
2000
havde mere fedme, mere diabetes
11:17
and more heart disease in later life
258
662000
3000
og flere hjertesygdomme senere i livet
11:20
than individuals who were gestated under normal conditions.
259
665000
3000
end individer der oplevede en normal svangerskabsperiode.
11:23
These individuals' prenatal experience of starvation
260
668000
4000
Disse individers prænatale sult oplevelser
11:27
seems to have changed their bodies
261
672000
2000
virkede til at have ændret deres kroppe
11:29
in myriad ways.
262
674000
2000
på utallige måder.
11:31
They have higher blood pressure,
263
676000
2000
De har et højere blodtryk,
11:33
poorer cholesterol profiles
264
678000
2000
dårligere kolesterol
11:35
and reduced glucose tolerance --
265
680000
2000
og reduceret tolerance overfor glucose --
11:37
a precursor of diabetes.
266
682000
3000
en forløber for diabetes.
11:40
Why would undernutrition in the womb
267
685000
2000
Hvorfor skulle underernæring i livmoderen
11:42
result in disease later?
268
687000
2000
resultere i sygdomme senere?
11:44
One explanation
269
689000
2000
En forklaring
11:46
is that fetuses are making the best of a bad situation.
270
691000
3000
er at fostre skaber det bedste i en dårlig situation.
11:49
When food is scarce,
271
694000
2000
Når der er madknaphed,
11:51
they divert nutrients towards the really critical organ, the brain,
272
696000
3000
de leder næringsstoffer mod de virkelig kritiske organer, hjernen,
11:54
and away from other organs
273
699000
2000
og væk fra andre organer
11:56
like the heart and liver.
274
701000
2000
som hjertet og leveren.
11:58
This keeps the fetus alive in the short-term,
275
703000
3000
Dette holder fostret i live på kort sigt,
12:01
but the bill comes due later on in life
276
706000
3000
men regningen kommer senere i livet
12:04
when those other organs, deprived early on,
277
709000
2000
når disse organer, der var underpriviligeret i starten,
12:06
become more susceptible to disease.
278
711000
3000
bliver mere modtagelige overfor sygdomme.
12:09
But that may not be all that's going on.
279
714000
3000
Men det er måske ikke det eneste der sker.
12:12
It seems that fetuses are taking cues
280
717000
2000
Der lader til at fostre tager hentydninger
12:14
from the intrauterine environment
281
719000
3000
fra livmoderens miljø
12:17
and tailoring their physiology accordingly.
282
722000
2000
og skræddersyer deres fysiologi derefter.
12:19
They're preparing themselves
283
724000
2000
De forbereder sig på
12:21
for the kind of world they will encounter
284
726000
2000
den slags verden de møder
12:23
on the other side of the womb.
285
728000
2000
på den anden side af livmoderen.
12:25
The fetus adjusts its metabolism
286
730000
2000
Fostret tilpasser dets stofskifte
12:27
and other physiological processes
287
732000
3000
og andre fysiologiske processer
12:30
in anticipation of the environment that awaits it.
288
735000
3000
i forventning om det miljø der venter det.
12:33
And the basis of the fetus' prediction
289
738000
3000
Og basisen af fostrets forventning
12:36
is what its mother eats.
290
741000
2000
er det moderen spiser.
12:38
The meals a pregnant woman consumes
291
743000
2000
Måltiderne som en gravid kvinde indtager
12:40
constitute a kind of story,
292
745000
2000
udgør en slags historie,
12:42
a fairy tale of abundance
293
747000
2000
et eventyr om overdådighed
12:44
or a grim chronicle of deprivation.
294
749000
3000
eller en barsk krønike om berøvelse.
12:47
This story imparts information
295
752000
3000
Denne historie deler information
12:50
that the fetus uses
296
755000
2000
som fostret bruger
12:52
to organize its body and its systems --
297
757000
2000
til at organisere dets krop og dens systemer --
12:54
an adaptation to prevailing circumstances
298
759000
3000
en tilpasning til de aktuelle omstændigheder
12:57
that facilitates its future survival.
299
762000
3000
som hjælper dens fremtidige overlevelse.
13:00
Faced with severely limited resources,
300
765000
3000
Står det overfor meget knappe ressourcer,
13:03
a smaller-sized child with reduced energy requirements
301
768000
3000
vil et mindre barn med reducerede krav om energi,
13:06
will, in fact, have a better chance
302
771000
2000
faktisk, have en bedre chance
13:08
of living to adulthood.
303
773000
2000
for at leve ind i voksenlivet.
13:10
The real trouble comes
304
775000
2000
De virkelige problemer opstår
13:12
when pregnant women are, in a sense, unreliable narrators,
305
777000
3000
når gravide kvinder er, på en måde, utroværdige fortællere,
13:15
when fetuses are led
306
780000
2000
når fostre ledes
13:17
to expect a world of scarcity
307
782000
2000
til at forvente en verden med knaphed
13:19
and are born instead into a world of plenty.
308
784000
3000
og i stedet bliver født ind i en verden af overdådighed.
13:22
This is what happened to the children of the Dutch "Hunger Winter."
309
787000
3000
Dette er hvad der skete med børnene i den hollandske "Sultens Vinter".
13:25
And their higher rates of obesity,
310
790000
2000
Og deres forhøjede fedme,
13:27
diabetes and heart disease
311
792000
2000
diabetes og hjertesygdomme
13:29
are the result.
312
794000
2000
er resultatet af dette.
13:31
Bodies that were built to hang onto every calorie
313
796000
3000
Kroppe der er bygget til at holde fast på hver enkelt kalorie
13:34
found themselves swimming in the superfluous calories
314
799000
2000
fandt sig selv svømmende i de overflødige kalorier
13:36
of the post-war Western diet.
315
801000
3000
i efterkrigens vestlige kost.
13:39
The world they had learned about while in utero
316
804000
3000
Den verden de havde lært om mens de var i livmoderen
13:42
was not the same
317
807000
2000
var ikke den samme
13:44
as the world into which they were born.
318
809000
3000
som den verden de blev født ind i.
13:47
Here's another story.
319
812000
2000
Her er en anden historie.
13:49
At 8:46 a.m. on September 11th, 2001,
320
814000
4000
Klokken 08.46 den 11 september, 2001,
13:53
there were tens of thousands of people
321
818000
2000
var der titusindvis af mennesker
13:55
in the vicinity of the World Trade Center
322
820000
2000
i nærheden af World Trade Center
13:57
in New York --
323
822000
2000
i New York --
13:59
commuters spilling off trains,
324
824000
2000
pendlere strømmede ud af togene,
14:01
waitresses setting tables for the morning rush,
325
826000
3000
servitricer der dækkede borde til morgen travlheden,
14:04
brokers already working the phones on Wall Street.
326
829000
4000
børsmæglere der allerede arbejdede på telefonerne på Wall Street.
14:08
1,700 of these people were pregnant women.
327
833000
3000
1.700 af disse mennesker var gravide kvinder.
14:11
When the planes struck and the towers collapsed,
328
836000
3000
Da flyene ramte og tårnene kollapsede,
14:14
many of these women experienced the same horrors
329
839000
3000
oplevede mange af disse kvinder de samme uhyrligheder
14:17
inflicted on other survivors of the disaster --
330
842000
3000
som andre overlevende af katastrofen --
14:20
the overwhelming chaos and confusion,
331
845000
2000
den overvældende kaos og forvirring,
14:22
the rolling clouds
332
847000
2000
de rullende skyer
14:24
of potentially toxic dust and debris,
333
849000
4000
af potentielt giftigt støv og murbrokker,
14:28
the heart-pounding fear for their lives.
334
853000
2000
den hjertebankende frygt for deres liv.
14:30
About a year after 9/11,
335
855000
2000
Cirka et år efter 9/11,
14:32
researchers examined a group of women
336
857000
3000
undersøgte forskere en gruppe kvinder
14:35
who were pregnant
337
860000
2000
der var gravide
14:37
when they were exposed to the World Trade Center attack.
338
862000
2000
da de blev udsat for World Trade Center angrebene.
14:39
In the babies of those women
339
864000
2000
I børnene på disse kvinder
14:41
who developed post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD,
340
866000
3000
der udviklede posttraumatisk stress syndrom, eller PTSD,
14:44
following their ordeal,
341
869000
2000
efter deres prøvelse,
14:46
researchers discovered a biological marker
342
871000
3000
fandt forskere en biologisk markør
14:49
of susceptibility to PTSD --
343
874000
2000
af modtagelighed for PTSD --
14:51
an effect that was most pronounced
344
876000
3000
en effekt der var mest udtalt
14:54
in infants whose mothers experienced the catastrophe
345
879000
3000
i børn hvis mor oplevede katastrofen
14:57
in their third trimester.
346
882000
2000
i deres tredje trimester.
14:59
In other words,
347
884000
2000
Med andre ord,
15:01
the mothers with post-traumatic stress syndrome
348
886000
3000
mødrene med posttraumatisk stress syndrom
15:04
had passed on a vulnerability to the condition
349
889000
3000
havde givet en modtagelighed for sygdommen videre
15:07
to their children while they were still in utero.
350
892000
3000
til deres børn mens de stadig var i livmoderen.
15:10
Now consider this:
351
895000
2000
Overvej nu følgende:
15:12
post-traumatic stress syndrome
352
897000
2000
posttraumatisk stress syndrom
15:14
appears to be a reaction to stress gone very wrong,
353
899000
3000
virker til at være en reaktion på meget forkert stress,
15:17
causing its victims tremendous unnecessary suffering.
354
902000
4000
der får dets ofre til lide enormt, unødvendigt.
15:21
But there's another way of thinking about PTSD.
355
906000
3000
Men der er en anden måde at tænke på PTSD.
15:24
What looks like pathology to us
356
909000
3000
Det der ligner patologi for os
15:27
may actually be a useful adaptation
357
912000
2000
kan faktisk være en nyttig tilpasning
15:29
in some circumstances.
358
914000
2000
under nogle omstændigheder.
15:31
In a particularly dangerous environment,
359
916000
3000
I et særlig farligt miljø,
15:34
the characteristic manifestations of PTSD --
360
919000
3000
de karakteristiske manifestationer af PTSD --
15:37
a hyper-awareness of one's surroundings,
361
922000
3000
en hyperopmærksomhed på ens omgivelser,
15:40
a quick-trigger response to danger --
362
925000
3000
en hurtig, instinktiv reaktion på fare --
15:43
could save someone's life.
363
928000
3000
kan redde nogens liv.
15:46
The notion that the prenatal transmission of PTSD risk is adaptive
364
931000
4000
Den ide at den prænatale overførsel af risikoen for PTSD er selvjusterende
15:50
is still speculative,
365
935000
2000
er stadig spekulativ,
15:52
but I find it rather poignant.
366
937000
3000
men jeg finder den ret skarp.
15:55
It would mean that, even before birth,
367
940000
2000
Det ville betyde at, selv før fødslen,
15:57
mothers are warning their children
368
942000
2000
advarer mødre deres børn om
15:59
that it's a wild world out there,
369
944000
2000
at der er en vild verden derude,
16:01
telling them, "Be careful."
370
946000
3000
og fortæller dem, "Vær forsigtig".
16:04
Let me be clear.
371
949000
2000
Lad mig være præcis.
16:06
Fetal origins research is not about blaming women
372
951000
3000
Føtale oprindelser research handler ikke om at bebrejde kvinder
16:09
for what happens during pregnancy.
373
954000
2000
for det der sker under graviditeten.
16:11
It's about discovering how best to promote
374
956000
3000
Det handler om at opdage hvordan man bedst fremmer
16:14
the health and well-being of the next generation.
375
959000
3000
helbredet og velværet af den næste generation.
16:17
That important effort must include a focus
376
962000
2000
Den vigtige stræben må inkludere en fokus
16:19
on what fetuses learn
377
964000
2000
på hvad fostre lærer
16:21
during the nine months they spend in the womb.
378
966000
3000
i de ni måneder de er i livmoderen.
16:24
Learning is one of life's most essential activities,
379
969000
3000
At lære er et af livets mest essentielle aktiviteter,
16:27
and it begins much earlier
380
972000
2000
og det starter meget tidligere
16:29
than we ever imagined.
381
974000
2000
end vi nogensinde troede.
16:31
Thank you.
382
976000
2000
Tak.
16:33
(Applause)
383
978000
7000
(Bifald)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Annie Murphy Paul - Science authorAnnie Murphy Paul investigates how life in the womb shapes who we become.
Why you should listen
To what extent the conditions we encounter before birth influence our individual characteristics? It‘s the question at the center of fetal origins, a relatively new field of research that measures how the effects of influences outside the womb during pregnancy can shape the physical, mental and even emotional well-being of the developing baby for the rest of its life.
Science writer Annie Murphy Paul calls it a gray zone between nature and nurture in her book Origins, a history and study of this emerging field structured around a personal narrative -- Paul was pregnant with her second child at the time. What she finds suggests a far more dynamic nature between mother and fetus than typically acknowledged, and opens up the possibility that the time before birth is as crucial to human development as early childhood.
Annie Murphy Paul | Speaker | TED.com