As I have delved into the field of developmental science in recent years, I have become increasingly aware of the effects of
stress in
pregnancy and early infancy on long term develpmental outcome. In fact, I have just started a new program at
Newton-Wellesley Hospital that aims to identify and work with at risk mother-baby pairs from birth. So when I received a request to review a book described on the book's website as follows, I was intrigued:
A blend of clinical observation and research leads him to suggest that overlooking pregnancy and the first months of life prevents one from adequately addressing mental illness and treating major health conditions
The book is Life Before Birth: The Hidden Script That Rules Our Lives by Arthur Janov, who is best known for his 1970's book The Primal Scream, in which he describes a lower-brain therapeutic method that he applied in his work with John Lennon. I feel compelled to say at the outset, that while I think the book does address some very important issues, I in no way endorse this form of treatment. Janov does seem to be advocating for his particular form of psychotherapy for adults because of the importance of the early period of development.
Rather, I think the main implication his findings, and he says this as well, is that we as a society need to invest resources in supporting women in pregnancy as well as parents and infants in the early months of life.
My criticism of the book is that while he does describe some important trends in research, such as epigenetics and the effect of stress in infancy on health outcomes, the ideas are often oversimplifed, and some very important relevant research is omitted.
For example, Tiffany Fields has done extensive high quality reseach on the effects of stress in pegnanacy on early development. Bruce Perry, a brilliant child psychiatrist who treats children with severe trauma histories has described the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, a treatment model that addresses the effects of early trauma on brain development. Neither Fields nor Perry are referenced in Janov's book.
In conclusion, I would say that Janov's book has some interesting and important ideas, described in a rather free form style. If it is as popular as his earlier books, at least it points in the right direction.
