Transgenerational Epigenetics and Ancient Practice: Fetal Education in East Asia

• In Event: Political Transformations of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and Epigenetics in the Global South 2

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between the science of transgenerational epigenetics and the traditional practice of fetal education known as taikyo, taijiao, or taegyo, which was introduced to Japan from China during the 8th century. There is an uncanny synnergy between what transgenerational epigenetics and developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) studies have unveiled and the foundational idea behind taikyo, which holds that gestational parent's mental state and behavior affect fetal development, the ease of childbirth, and the offspring's life-long character. Self-help guides that teach expecting parents how to facilitate the intellectual development and character enhancement of their future offspring by listening to classical music and eating a special diet can be found in almost every Japanese bookstore. Although taikyo has been accepted and passed down over generations as a kind of wisdom that does not require verification by Western scientific data, there are also books by Japanese authors that attempt to explain its merit through developmental psychology and neuroscience. To what extent, then, has taikyo been recast through epigenetics and DOHaD? To answer this question, I will examine newspapers and magazine articles published since the year 2000 and popular books on the taikyo and relevant subjects. Findings will shed light on how the pregnant body, fetal environment, and pregnancy as a liminal state for an offspring are scientifically and culturally co-constructed in the context of contemporary Japan.

Author

• Chikako Takeshita, University of California, Riverside