Abstract
Wide-ranging theories have flourished around fetal nutrition for centuries. The Greeks were somehow more accurate in their intuitions than many of those who followed them. Democritus and Epicurus thought that the unformed fetus ate and drank 'per os', through the mouth [1]. Hippocrates rightly assumed that the maternal blood flow nourished the embryo and even respiration emerged from the cord. Subsequently an almost 'agricultural' view of nutrition prevailed. Fetuses were regarded as passive creatures which simply absorbed nutrients from their mothers, who were equated to the earth and its fertile soil. Albertus Magnus thought that embryos absorbed nutrients 'like a sponge'. Others, like Hildegard of Bingen, believed that retained menstrual blood was the primary source of fetal nourishment [1]. Menstruation ceased in the pregnant woman, and this was taken as a sign that menstrual blood was the fetus's main food. Still others imagined the fetus branching out many vessels into the placenta, the socalled matrix, through which the nourishment was sucked in as from a fertile terrain.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Development of Normal Fetal Movements: The First 25 Weeks of Gestation |
| Publisher | Springer Milan |
| Pages | 49-57 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9788847014015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
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Keywords
- Feeding
- Fetal thumb sucking
- Handedness
- Hypotonic urine
- Oligohydramnios
- Polyhydramnios
- Sucking
- Swallowing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Swallowing, sucking, and handedness as inferred from fetal thumb sucking. / Boschetto, Chiara; Ceriani, Florinda; Fabietti, Isabella; Fogliani, Roberto; Kustermann, Alessandra.
Development of Normal Fetal Movements: The First 25 Weeks of Gestation. Springer Milan, 2010. p. 49-57.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
}
TY - CHAP
T1 - Swallowing, sucking, and handedness as inferred from fetal thumb sucking
AU - Boschetto, Chiara
AU - Ceriani, Florinda
AU - Fabietti, Isabella
AU - Fogliani, Roberto
AU - Kustermann, Alessandra
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Wide-ranging theories have flourished around fetal nutrition for centuries. The Greeks were somehow more accurate in their intuitions than many of those who followed them. Democritus and Epicurus thought that the unformed fetus ate and drank 'per os', through the mouth [1]. Hippocrates rightly assumed that the maternal blood flow nourished the embryo and even respiration emerged from the cord. Subsequently an almost 'agricultural' view of nutrition prevailed. Fetuses were regarded as passive creatures which simply absorbed nutrients from their mothers, who were equated to the earth and its fertile soil. Albertus Magnus thought that embryos absorbed nutrients 'like a sponge'. Others, like Hildegard of Bingen, believed that retained menstrual blood was the primary source of fetal nourishment [1]. Menstruation ceased in the pregnant woman, and this was taken as a sign that menstrual blood was the fetus's main food. Still others imagined the fetus branching out many vessels into the placenta, the socalled matrix, through which the nourishment was sucked in as from a fertile terrain.
AB - Wide-ranging theories have flourished around fetal nutrition for centuries. The Greeks were somehow more accurate in their intuitions than many of those who followed them. Democritus and Epicurus thought that the unformed fetus ate and drank 'per os', through the mouth [1]. Hippocrates rightly assumed that the maternal blood flow nourished the embryo and even respiration emerged from the cord. Subsequently an almost 'agricultural' view of nutrition prevailed. Fetuses were regarded as passive creatures which simply absorbed nutrients from their mothers, who were equated to the earth and its fertile soil. Albertus Magnus thought that embryos absorbed nutrients 'like a sponge'. Others, like Hildegard of Bingen, believed that retained menstrual blood was the primary source of fetal nourishment [1]. Menstruation ceased in the pregnant woman, and this was taken as a sign that menstrual blood was the fetus's main food. Still others imagined the fetus branching out many vessels into the placenta, the socalled matrix, through which the nourishment was sucked in as from a fertile terrain.
KW - Feeding
KW - Fetal thumb sucking
KW - Handedness
KW - Hypotonic urine
KW - Oligohydramnios
KW - Polyhydramnios
KW - Sucking
KW - Swallowing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892207157&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84892207157&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-88-470-1402-2_6
DO - 10.1007/978-88-470-1402-2_6
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:84892207157
SN - 9788847014015
SP - 49
EP - 57
BT - Development of Normal Fetal Movements: The First 25 Weeks of Gestation
PB - Springer Milan
ER -