Annie Murphy Paul: What we learn before we're born

譯者: Ou Chih-Hong 審譯者: Bruce Liu

My subject today is learning.

我今天的主題是學習

And in that spirit, I want to spring on you all a pop quiz.

我要給在座的各位一個隨堂小考

Ready?

準備好了嗎？

When does learning begin?

我們從什麼時候開始學習？

Now as you ponder that question,

現在就像你们所想

maybe you're thinking about the first day of preschool

可能你在想幼稚園

or kindergarten,

或托兒所的第一天

the first time that kids are in a classroom with a teacher.

孩子們第一次在教室和老師相處

Or maybe you've called to mind the toddler phase

或是小孩的學步階段

when children are learning how to walk and talk

當小孩正學著走路、說話

and use a fork.

還有學習使用叉子的時候

Maybe you've encountered the Zero-to-Three movement,

你也可能知道零到三變化

which asserts that the most important years for learning

也就是說零歲到三歲是學習過程中

are the earliest ones.

最早也最重要的階段

And so your answer to my question would be:

所以，你會回答

Learning begins at birth.

學習是從出生時才開始

Well today I want to present to you

但是，我今天要告訴你們的答案

an idea that may be surprising

可能會讓你們大吃一驚

and may even seem implausible,

你們甚至認為這不太可能

but which is supported by the latest evidence

但是，這個答案

from psychology and biology.

有心理學及生物學的最新證據佐證

And that is that some of the most important learning we ever do

而且這段異常重要的學習過程

happens before we're born,

從我們還在子宮的時候

while we're still in the womb.

就已經開始

Now I'm a science reporter.

我現在是科學記者

I write books and magazine articles.

我會寫一些相關書籍，雜誌上也看的到我的文章

And I'm also a mother.

我現在同時也是個媽媽

And those two roles came together for me

在我寫這本「起源」的時候

in a book that I wrote called "Origins."

這兩個角色合為一體

"Origins" is a report from the front lines

「起源」這個報告是來自于

of an exciting new field

非常活躍的新領域前沿

called fetal origins.

叫做台兒的起源

Fetal origins is a scientific discipline

直到二十年前，才有人開始研究

that emerged just about two decades ago,

胎兒的起源這一塊科學領域

and it's based on the theory

他們認為我們出生前

that our health and well-being throughout our lives

待在子宮內的九個月

is crucially affected

深深著影響我們

by the nine months we spend in the womb.

這一輩子的健康及幸福

Now this theory was of more than just intellectual interest to me.

這塊領域所給我的好處，不只是學術方面

I was myself pregnant

我當時也懷孕了

while I was doing the research for the book.

在我為這本書做這項研究的時候

And one of the most fascinating insights

找資料的時候，我發現許多有趣的事

I took from this work

其中一件

is that we're all learning about the world

是我們還沒來這世上報到之前

even before we enter it.

我們已經在學習了

When we hold our babies for the first time,

當我們第一次抱著寶寶

we might imagine that they're clean slates,

我們想像著他們是塊無暇的石板

unmarked by life,

沒有歲月的痕跡

when in fact, they've already been shaped by us

然而，事實上他們已經被我們

and by the particular world we live in.

以及這個世界給影響

Today I want to share with you some of the amazing things

今天，我想和你們分享一些

that scientists are discovering

科學家發現的驚人事實

about what fetuses learn

也就是胎兒

while they're still in their mothers' bellies.

在媽媽肚子裡如何學習

First of all,

首先

they learn the sound of their mothers' voices.

他們學會辨別媽媽的聲音

Because sounds from the outside world

外來世界的聲音

have to travel through the mother's abdominal tissue

從媽媽的腹部傳送進去

and through the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus,

到了羊水

the voices fetuses hear,

大概在懷孕的第四個月

starting around the fourth month of gestation,

寶寶就會隱約聽到

are muted and muffled.

那些柔和的聲音

One researcher says

一位研究員說

that they probably sound a lot like the the voice of Charlie Brown's teacher

胎兒聽到的聲音，聽起來大概就像是過去的《花生漫畫》中

in the old "Peanuts" cartoon.

查理布朗他老師的聲音

But the pregnant woman's own voice

孕婦自己的聲音

reverberates through her body,

會在身體裡一直迴盪

reaching the fetus much more readily.

胎兒很快就會聽到了

And because the fetus is with her all the time,

因為胎兒一直都在媽媽的肚子裡

it hears her voice a lot.

胎兒就常常聽到媽媽的聲音

Once the baby's born, it recognizes her voice

一旦寶寶出生，寶寶就能辨認出媽媽的聲音

and it prefers listening to her voice

此外，比起其他人的聲音

over anyone else's.

寶寶也比較喜歡媽媽的聲音

How can we know this?

我們是怎麼知道的呢？

Newborn babies can't do much,

剛出生的寶寶能做的事情不多

but one thing they're really good at is sucking.

其中他們滿擅長的就是吸吮

Researchers take advantage of this fact

研究員便利用寶寶這項特點

by rigging up two rubber nipples,

做了兩個橡膠奶嘴

so that if a baby sucks on one,

研究員讓寶寶吸吮其中一個

it hears a recording of its mother's voice

同時讓寶寶帶了一副耳機

on a pair of headphones,

聽自己媽媽的聲音

and if it sucks on the other nipple,

之後，又讓寶寶吸吮另一個

it hears a recording of a female stranger's voice.

同時讓寶寶聽其它女性的聲音

Babies quickly show their preference

寶寶很快地選擇要吸吮第一個奶嘴

by choosing the first one.

這就表現出寶寶的偏好

Scientists also take advantage of the fact

科學家也發現

that babies will slow down their sucking

如果寶寶對某樣事物感興趣

when something interests them

吸吮速度就會慢下來

and resume their fast sucking

並且回到快速的吸吮速度

when they get bored.

他們感到無聊的時候

This is how researchers discovered

科學家觀察懷孕的媽媽們

that, after women repeatedly read aloud

不斷地大聲朗誦

a section of Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" while they were pregnant,

蘇斯博士的《戴帽子的貓》其中一章節

their newborn babies recognized that passage

當那些寶寶出生後

when they hear it outside the womb.

他們可以認得那個故事章節

My favorite experiment of this kind

這類實驗中，我最喜歡的

is the one that showed that the babies

是媽媽們在懷孕的時候

of women who watched a certain soap opera

每天都看固定的肥皂劇

every day during pregnancy

在那些寶寶出生後

recognized the theme song of that show

他們可以認得出

once they were born.

那些肥皂劇的主題曲

So fetuses are even learning

因此，胎兒還在子宮內時

about the particular language that's spoken

就在學著了解將要出生的周遭環境

in the world that they'll be born into.

所使用的語言

A study published last year

去年發表的一項研究指出

found that from birth, from the moment of birth,

在出生的那一刻

babies cry in the accent

寶寶哭聲的腔調

of their mother's native language.

是媽媽母語的腔調

French babies cry on a rising note

法國寶寶的哭聲，聲調較高

while German babies end on a falling note,

德國寶寶的哭聲，聲調較低

imitating the melodic contours

哭聲聽起來

of those languages.

像是模仿自己母語的腔調

Now why would this kind of fetal learning

為什麼胎兒學這些東西、

be useful?

是有用的呢？

It may have evolved to aid the baby's survival.

這類學習可能幫助寶寶在未來活下來

From the moment of birth,

從出生那一刻開始

the baby responds most to the voice

寶寶對媽媽的聲音

of the person who is most likely to care for it --

也就是最可能照顧寶寶的人

its mother.

反應最多

It even makes its cries

寶寶甚至會讓自己的哭聲

sound like the mother's language,

聽起來像媽媽說的話

which may further endear the baby to the mother,

寶寶也因此可能更愛自己的媽媽

and which may give the baby a head start

寶寶也是從這時開始進行

in the critical task

一項很重要的任務

of learning how to understand and speak

那就是開始了解

its native language.

並使用自己的母語

But it's not just sounds

胎兒在子宮內所學的

that fetuses are learning about in utero.

不僅僅是關於聽覺

It's also tastes and smells.

還有味覺和嗅覺

By seven months of gestation,

懷孕七個月之後

the fetus' taste buds are fully developed,

胎兒的味蕾已經發育健全

and its olfactory receptors, which allow it to smell,

胎兒用來聞東西的嗅覺受器

are functioning.

也開始運作

The flavors of the food a pregnant woman eats

孕婦吃的食物的味道

find their way into the amniotic fluid,

會傳到羊水

which is continuously swallowed

胎兒會一直吸收

by the fetus.

那個帶了味道的羊水

Babies seem to remember and prefer these tastes

一旦寶寶來到這個世上，他們似乎記得那個味道

once they're out in the world.

也特別喜歡那個味道

In one experiment, a group of pregnant women

有一個實驗要求一群孕婦

was asked to drink a lot of carrot juice

在他們懷孕期間的最後三個月

during their third trimester of pregnancy,

喝很多的胡蘿蔔汁

while another group of pregnant women

而另一群的孕婦

drank only water.

只有喝水

Six months later, the women's infants

六個月之後，我們讓那些孕婦的寶寶

were offered cereal mixed with carrot juice,

吃了有胡蘿蔔口味的綜合麥片

and their facial expressions were observed while they ate it.

在他們吃的時候，我們把他們臉上的表情記錄下來

The offspring of the carrot juice drinking women

先前喝胡蘿蔔汁的孕婦所生的小孩

ate more carrot-flavored cereal,

吃比較多胡蘿蔔口味的麥片

and from the looks of it,

從他們的表情看來

they seemed to enjoy it more.

他們也似乎比較喜歡胡蘿蔔口味

A sort of French version of this experiment

這個實驗的一個法國版本

was carried out in Dijon, France

在法國第戎進行

where researchers found

當地的研究員發現

that mothers who consumed food and drink

懷孕期間的母親，無論吃的還是喝的

flavored with licorice-flavored anise during pregnancy

都參有甘草味道的茴香

showed a preference for anise

那些寶寶在出生的第一天

on their first day of life,

就對茴香有所偏好

and again, when they were tested later,

在寶寶出生的第四天

on their fourth day of life.

研究員又再一次進行實驗

Babies whose mothers did not eat anise during pregnancy

當初懷孕時沒有食用茴香的媽媽

showed a reaction that translated roughly as "yuck."

他們的寶寶對茴香的反應就是「噁心」

What this means

這就是說

is that fetuses are effectively being taught by their mothers

媽媽確實能夠有效的教導肚子裡的寶寶

about what is safe and good to eat.

什麼東西是可以安全食用的

Fetuses are also being taught

食物最能表現出一個地方的文化

about the particular culture that they'll be joining

而媽媽肚子裡的胎兒

through one of culture's most powerful expressions,

可以透過食物去學習

which is food.

那個特定地方的文化

They're being introduced to the characteristic flavors and spices

寶寶甚至在出生前

of their culture's cuisine

就在學習當地食物的

even before birth.

味道及香味

Now it turns out that fetuses are learning even bigger lessons.

現在研究證明，胎兒甚至在學習比食物更困難的東西

But before I get to that,

但是，在那之前

I want to address something that you may be wondering about.

我想說明一件你們可能都在思考的事情

The notion of fetal learning

也就是胎教

may conjure up for you attempts to enrich the fetus --

你們可能想把耳機放到媽媽的肚子上

like playing Mozart through headphones

並播放莫札特的音樂

placed on a pregnant belly.

讓寶寶變得聰明些

But actually, the nine-month-long process

然而，胎兒待在子宮的時間有九個月

of molding and shaping that goes on in the womb

在這期間胎兒所受到的影響

is a lot more visceral and consequential than that.

遠比聽音樂更有影響力，也更重要

Much of what a pregnant woman encounters in her daily life --

許多孕婦在日常生活中會遇到的事情

the air she breathes,

像是呼吸的空氣

the food and drink she consumes,

喝的東西，吃的食物

the chemicals she's exposed to,

孕婦接觸到的藥品

even the emotions she feels --

甚至孕婦自己的情緒

are shared in some fashion with her fetus.

或多或少都是和胎兒共享的

They make up a mix of influences

這些事物對胎兒所造成的影響

as individual and idiosyncratic

如同對孕婦造成的影響一樣

as the woman herself.

每個都是明顯而且不同的

The fetus incorporates these offerings

胎兒把這些事物所造成的影響

into its own body,

吸收到身體裡

makes them part of its flesh and blood.

而那些東西也溶于胎兒的血肉中

And often it does something more.

事情還不僅如此

It treats these maternal contributions

胎兒會把媽媽給他的這些東西

as information,

當作是種資訊

as what I like to call biological postcards

我稱這種資訊為外面世界所寄來的

from the world outside.

生物資訊明信片

So what a fetus is learning about in utero

因此，胎兒在子宮內所要學習的事物

is not Mozart's "Magic Flute"

不是莫札特的「魔笛」

but answers to questions much more critical to its survival.

而是攸關存亡問題的反應

Will it be born into a world of abundance

寶寶是出生在一個富庶的

or scarcity?

還是貧困的世界？

Will it be safe and protected,

會受到安全的保護嗎？

or will it face constant dangers and threats?

還是得面對接連而來的危險及威脅呢？

Will it live a long, fruitful life

這一生是過得既長壽又充實呢？

or a short, harried one?

還是短暫又煩心？

The pregnant woman's diet and stress level in particular

尤其從孕婦的日常飲食及壓力水平

provide important clues to prevailing conditions

就能夠看出一些重要的線索

like a finger lifted to the wind.

寶寶健不健康，看孕婦就知道

The resulting tuning and tweaking

每個胎兒的大腦及器官

of a fetus' brain and other organs

在出生後都有點不一樣

are part of what give us humans

而這或多或少讓我們人類

our enormous flexibility,

在許多的環境當中

our ability to thrive

能夠擁有很強的適應力

in a huge variety of environments,

以及繼續成長的能力

from the country to the city,

從鄉村到都市

from the tundra to the desert.

從苔原到沙漠

To conclude, I want to tell you two stories

現在，我要用兩個故事做為今天的結論

about how mothers teach their children about the world

關於媽媽如何教導仍未出生的孩子

even before they're born.

這個世界

In the autumn of 1944,

一九四四年的秋天

the darkest days of World War II,

世界二次大戰最黑暗的日子

German troops blockaded Western Holland,

德國軍隊封鎖了荷蘭西部

turning away all shipments of food.

驅逐了所有裝送食物的船隻

The opening of the Nazi's siege

納粹的圍攻開始

was followed by one of the harshest winters in decades --

此外，接著是數十年來最嚴酷的寒冬

so cold the water in the canals froze solid.

冷到連運河的水都結成冰

Soon food became scarce,

食物很快就不夠了

with many Dutch surviving on just 500 calories a day --

很多荷蘭人一天僅攝取五百卡路里生存下去

a quarter of what they consumed before the war.

五百卡中有四分之一是在戰前所補充的

As weeks of deprivation stretched into months,

沒有食物的日子，從數週變成數月

some resorted to eating tulip bulbs.

許多人沒有東西吃，只好吃鬱金香的根

By the beginning of May,

接著，五月開始了

the nation's carefully rationed food reserve

荷蘭當初仔細分配的食物存量

was completely exhausted.

也完全耗盡了

The specter of mass starvation loomed.

因為飢荒而餓死的人越來越多

And then on May 5th, 1945,

一九四五年，五月五號

the siege came to a sudden end

納粹的圍攻突然結束

when Holland was liberated

因為

by the Allies.

荷蘭被同盟國解放了

The "Hunger Winter," as it came to be known,

這就是我們現在所知的「饑饉之冬」

killed some 10,000 people

這場寒冬奪走一萬條人命

and weakened thousands more.

有數千人變得虛弱不已

But there was another population that was affected --

除了這些人之外，還有另一群受到影響的人

the 40,000 fetuses

就是當初圍攻時

in utero during the siege.

待在子宮內的四萬名胎兒

Some of the effects of malnutrition during pregnancy

因為懷孕期間營養失調的關係

were immediately apparent

有些影響一下就看出來

in higher rates of stillbirths,

像是較高的死胎率

birth defects, low birth weights

先天缺陷，體重不足

and infant mortality.

以及嬰兒死亡率

But others wouldn't be discovered for many years.

其它的影響要幾年後才會發現

Decades after the "Hunger Winter,"

研究員將當初「饑饉之冬」生還者的小孩

researchers documented

他們之後數十年的生活記錄下來

that people whose mothers were pregnant during the siege

發現在圍攻時，當初那些孕婦所生的小孩

have more obesity, more diabetes

他們在往後的日子，較多人得到肥胖症

and more heart disease in later life

糖尿病，以及心臟病

than individuals who were gestated under normal conditions.

正常情況下懷孕所生的小孩機率則較低

These individuals' prenatal experience of starvation

這些人當初還是胎兒時所受的飢荒之苦

seems to have changed their bodies

似乎在他們的身體上

in myriad ways.

造成了許多變化

They have higher blood pressure,

他們的血壓比較高

poorer cholesterol profiles

膽固醇相關數值較差

and reduced glucose tolerance --

葡萄糖耐性較低

a precursor of diabetes.

也就是糖尿病的前兆

Why would undernutrition in the womb

為什麼子宮內的胎兒營養不良

result in disease later?

會造成日後的疾病？

One explanation

其中一個解釋為

is that fetuses are making the best of a bad situation.

胎兒處在不好的環境時，他仍做最好的打算

When food is scarce,

食物不夠的時候

they divert nutrients towards the really critical organ, the brain,

胎兒會把營養傳給最重要的器官－大腦

and away from other organs

而不是給其它的器官

like the heart and liver.

像是心臟，肝臟

This keeps the fetus alive in the short-term,

如此一來，胎兒在短期內仍能存活

but the bill comes due later on in life

但在往後的生活，就得付出代價

when those other organs, deprived early on,

因為當初營養不足的器官

become more susceptible to disease.

變得易受疾病侵害

But that may not be all that's going on.

事情還不僅如此

It seems that fetuses are taking cues

胎兒似乎懂得分析

from the intrauterine environment

從外來世界傳進子宮內的訊息

and tailoring their physiology accordingly.

因此胚胎會做些生理準備

They're preparing themselves

換言之

for the kind of world they will encounter

他們會做好準備

on the other side of the womb.

去面對子宮外的世界

The fetus adjusts its metabolism

胎兒會調整自己的新陳代謝

and other physiological processes

以及其他的生理過程

in anticipation of the environment that awaits it.

為了外面那個等著胎兒誕生的世界

And the basis of the fetus' prediction

胎兒起碼可以預想到

is what its mother eats.

媽媽會吃的食物

The meals a pregnant woman consumes

孕婦每一餐吃的食物

constitute a kind of story,

對胎兒來說，都是個故事

a fairy tale of abundance

可能是營養豐富的童話故事

or a grim chronicle of deprivation.

可能是營養不足的難過故事

This story imparts information

胎兒會運用

that the fetus uses

從故事中得到的資訊

to organize its body and its systems --

規劃自己的身體及生理系統

an adaptation to prevailing circumstances

來適應日後的環境

that facilitates its future survival.

讓自己在未來能較易存活下來

Faced with severely limited resources,

在面臨非常有限的食物時

a smaller-sized child with reduced energy requirements

體型較小的小孩會降低能量的需求

will, in fact, have a better chance

因此在未來

of living to adulthood.

就較有機會長大成人

The real trouble comes

然而，真正的問題是

when pregnant women are, in a sense, unreliable narrators,

孕婦向胎兒傳達的訊息並不可靠

when fetuses are led

胎兒受到孕婦的指引

to expect a world of scarcity

以為會出生在一個資源匱乏的國家

and are born instead into a world of plenty.

但是，卻出生在一個物資充裕的國家

This is what happened to the children of the Dutch "Hunger Winter."

這就是發生在「饑饉之冬」誕生的孩子身上

And their higher rates of obesity,

那些孩子之所以會有較高比率的肥胖症

diabetes and heart disease

糖尿病以及心臟病

are the result.

都是這原因

Bodies that were built to hang onto every calorie

那些寶寶本來是每一卡路里都得善加運用

found themselves swimming in the superfluous calories

沒想到卻出生在一個卡路里過剩的國家

of the post-war Western diet.

也就是戰後的西方飲食

The world they had learned about while in utero

他們出生後的世界

was not the same

和原先在子宮所想像的

as the world into which they were born.

並不是一樣的世界

Here's another story.

接著是另一個故事

At 8:46 a.m. on September 11th, 2001,

2001年，九月十一號，早上八點四十六分

there were tens of thousands of people

有數以萬計的人們

in the vicinity of the World Trade Center

在紐約市的

in New York --

世界貿易中心附近

commuters spilling off trains,

通勤的人在擁擠的火車月台上穿梭

waitresses setting tables for the morning rush,

服務生為了即將到來的忙碌早晨在整理桌面

brokers already working the phones on Wall Street.

華爾街的交易員已經開始上班

1,700 of these people were pregnant women.

在這些人之中，有一千七百名女性懷有身孕

When the planes struck and the towers collapsed,

當飛機撞上去，世貿雙塔倒塌

many of these women experienced the same horrors

這些孕婦和這場災難的倖存者

inflicted on other survivors of the disaster --

都經歷著一樣的恐懼

the overwhelming chaos and confusion,

無法控制的動亂，騷動

the rolling clouds

遍地的瓦礫

of potentially toxic dust and debris,

可能帶有毒害的煙塵所形成的滾滾烏雲

the heart-pounding fear for their lives.

害怕自己死掉的心跳聲

About a year after 9/11,

九一一的一年後

researchers examined a group of women

研究員檢查了

who were pregnant

當時經歷過世貿攻擊

when they were exposed to the World Trade Center attack.

而且懷有身孕的女性

In the babies of those women

那些女性經歷了這麼悲痛的經驗

who developed post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD,

都得了創傷後壓力心理障礙症

following their ordeal,

又稱創傷後壓力症

researchers discovered a biological marker

研究員發現容易得到該症狀的人

of susceptibility to PTSD --

有一個明顯的特徵

an effect that was most pronounced

那些孕婦

in infants whose mothers experienced the catastrophe

在懷孕第三期的時候

in their third trimester.

都經歷了那場災難

In other words,

換句話說

the mothers with post-traumatic stress syndrome

那些得到創傷後壓力症的媽媽

had passed on a vulnerability to the condition

把容易得到此症狀的特性

to their children while they were still in utero.

傳給了當時還在子宮內的胎兒

Now consider this:

現在請想想這個情況

post-traumatic stress syndrome

創傷後壓力心理障礙症

appears to be a reaction to stress gone very wrong,

似乎是不好的壓力所引起的反應

causing its victims tremendous unnecessary suffering.

該症狀的患者也受了不必要的痛苦

But there's another way of thinking about PTSD.

然而，從另一種角度來看創傷後壓力症

What looks like pathology to us

在我們看來這是種疾病

may actually be a useful adaptation

事實上，這卻有可能是幫助我們

in some circumstances.

適應環境的利器

In a particularly dangerous environment,

尤其是在危險的環境中

the characteristic manifestations of PTSD --

就能看出創傷後壓力症典型的徵兆

a hyper-awareness of one's surroundings,

像是高度注意自身周遭的環境

a quick-trigger response to danger --

對危險可以立即反應

could save someone's life.

這些都能保住自身性命

The notion that the prenatal transmission of PTSD risk is adaptive

創傷後壓力症對胎兒的益處

is still speculative,

仍令人存疑

but I find it rather poignant.

不過，我覺得這反而令人難過

It would mean that, even before birth,

這意味著，甚至在出生前

mothers are warning their children

媽媽們都在警告她們的孩子們

that it's a wild world out there,

外面是個險惡的世界

telling them, "Be careful."

叫他們「小心」

Let me be clear.

讓我講的明白些

Fetal origins research is not about blaming women

研究胎兒的起源並不是要責備媽媽

for what happens during pregnancy.

在懷孕時發生的事情

It's about discovering how best to promote

它是關於找出方法，該怎麼做

the health and well-being of the next generation.

才能把下一代的健康，幸福給大大提升

That important effort must include a focus

我們這麼做的同時，一定要記得

on what fetuses learn

重點是胎兒在子宮內的九個月

during the nine months they spend in the womb.

學到了什麼東西

Learning is one of life's most essential activities,

學習是人的一生當中最重要的課題

and it begins much earlier

而且學習比我們想像中

than we ever imagined.

還要早就開始

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

(掌聲)