

Once considered a mundane field for the researcher, [n]ow the nine months of gestation are the focus of intense interest and excitement, she writes, pregnancy is not a nine-month wait for the big event of birth, but a crucial period unto itself.



The findings wont shock the pro-lifer, but the fact that theyre gaining attention in the scientific community and are being reported in places like CNN online should cheer the pro-life soul. The recognition that learning actually begins before birth leads us to a striking new conception of the fetus, the pregnant woman and the relationship between them.

Some of Pauls conclusions, though, seem to be a stretch. By attending to such messages, she writes, the fetus learns the answers to questions critical to its survival: Will it be born into a world of abundance, or scarcity? Will it be safe and protected, or will it face constant dangers and threats? Will it live a long, fruitful life, or a short, harried one? A bit deterministic, if you ask me, but I welcome her acknowledgment of the growing childs sentience.