A New Era in Prenatal Development Education is Born
For the first time in history the living human embryo and fetus can be studied and appreciated visually by nonscientists, and the vital importance of promoting prenatal health can be understood by everyone. The Endowment for Human Development (EHD) is combining advances in medical imaging, DVD, and Internet technologies with ongoing human development research, and placing powerful new prenatal development-based teaching tools in the hands of health science educators and clinicians in classrooms and medical centers around the world. Providing an entire generation with a visual appreciation of early human development and a sure knowledge of the vital link between prenatal health and lifelong health1 represents an exciting new strategy to help win the fight to prevent birth defects and improve maternal health.
When Does Lifelong Health Begin?
Medical science has shown that our lifelong health is partially linked to our mother's health before and during pregnancy, and
to events occurring inside the womb. This link is demonstrated every day as children are born with preventable birth defects, caused
by the use of alcohol,2
tobacco,3 and other harmful
substances during pregnancy.
Medical professionals providing obstetric care have long recommended ways to improve fetal and maternal health, such as advising pregnant women to receive regular prenatal care, maintain proper nutrition, and avoid the use of harmful substances. Women who follow these recommendations avoid numerous fetal and maternal complications.
How Can Lifelong Health Be Improved During Pregnancy?
"Until I saw the video [4-D Ultrasound] of Katy at 20 weeks old, I could not relate to this lump growing inside me enough to want to give up my cigarettes.
But as soon as I saw the beautiful pictures of my daughter, it felt criminal to do anything which might cause her harm.
I stopped smoking straight away, gave up my glasses of wine and concentrated on making myself as healthy as possible to give Katy the best possible start in life."
"Womb View Boost for Expectant Parents"
BBC News, July 6, 2001
The Problem
Despite considerable efforts to prevent birth defects through education, a significant number of pregnant women and their partners continue to smoke, drink, and engage in other health- or life-threatening activities. Educational programs intended to reduce the use of harmful substances during pregnancy are often unsuccessful because the vast majority of people are profoundly unaware of the events of early human development. Preventable tragedies continue.
The Solution
However, a new image-based educational approach is emerging. Recently developed 4D ultrasound imaging of the fetus is motivating healthy behavior and prompting positive reactions among many pregnant women and their partners in a way "not previously encountered."4
Building on this phenomenon, our Making Pregnancy Real campaign features rare direct videography of the living human embryo and fetus, transforming lack of awareness among young women and men into a visual comprehension of critical development events. This imagery, showcased on our DVD, entitled The Biology of Prenatal Development, and this website, irreversibly changes most viewers' perceptions about pregnancy by communicating an unprecedented visual appreciation of early human development. Changing the way most people visualize pregnancy changes the way they behave toward pregnancy and toward pregnant women.
Our Making Pregnancy Real campaign will improve lifelong health and save countless lives around the world by:
• Reducing use of harmful substances
• Preventing birth defects
• Reaching young women and men before they are involved in pregnancy
• Motivating healthy behavior and promoting prenatal care
• Enhancing the effectiveness of existing prevention programs
EHD's Educational Resources
For the first time in history, the living human embryo and fetus can be studied and appreciated visually by nonscientists, and the vital importance of promoting prenatal health can be understood by everyone.
The Biology of Prenatal Development DVD is an award-winning
science documentary highlighting human development from fertilization to birth. This program features extraordinarily rare videography of
the developing human from 4 to 12 weeks after fertilization. Produced in conjunction with and endorsed
by human development experts, this program explains the science and communicates the wonder of human development before birth.
This website provides a central location where the human body can be studied and visualized throughout the human life cycle, and where the
dangers of harmful substances are explained in a way that is understandable to educators and their students, as well as clinicians and their
patients. Most of this site is open to the public and available for personal use at no cost. Visitors can study the science of human
development and learn the importance of prenatal development education.
Classroom use of the DVD and website is supported by unit/lesson plans, student study guides, and customizable fact sheets, timelines, DVD outlines, and assessment tools.
Teacher Training
Registered educators have free access to all the password-protected materials needed to master and effectively present the material in the classroom. We support teachers through telephone, website, and email technical support. In addition, EHD trains teachers at state, regional, and national conferences. These training sessions introduce the importance and rationale of our educational program, and demonstrate the powerful teaching resources available. In addition, our site features self-paced, online tutorials for educators. See our teacher training presentation schedule.
About Us
The Endowment for Human Development (EHD) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health science education and
public health. EHD equips educators, clinicians, and governments to help everyone appreciate, apply, and communicate the science of health
and human development.
We are committed to neutrality regarding all bioethical issues.
Our five-member board of directors, 18-member board of advisors, staff, and volunteers include accomplished educators, researchers, authors, and clinicians from a variety of scientific and business disciplines who share the common goal of improving lifelong health through prenatal development-based education.
Joining Together to Shape the Future
Applying the science of human prenatal development is increasingly recognized as an indispensable part of improving the health and
maximizing the intellectual development of children.
We now have an unprecedented opportunity to join with teachers to enhance students’ education, health, and lives. In doing so, we will provide students with the foundation for making wise health decisions for their children and their communities.
We invite all who share our vision to join with us. Visit our support page to see how you can help.
Notes and Sources
1
One of the initial determinants of the lifelong health of each newborn is the preconception health of each mother.
One of the best ways to maximize the preconception health of each mother is a program of comprehensive prenatal development
and health education directed toward everyone. Avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and other
dangerous substances before and during pregnancy would prevent numerous birth defects, maternal complications, miscarriages,
and incalculable human tragedy. Adequate folic acid intake among all women of child-bearing age prior to pregnancy would
protect large numbers of newborns from neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Please see de Weerd S, Polder JJ, Cohen-Overbeek
TE, Zimmermann LJ, Steegers EA. 2004. Preconception care: preliminary estimates of costs and effects of
smoking cessation and folic acid supplementation. J Reprod Med. May; 49(5):338-44; and Brundage SC. 2002. Preconception health care.
Am Fam Physician 65(12):2507-14.
2 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation
afflicting up to two live births per thousand. Fetal Alcohol effects occur in approximately eight live births per thousand.
3 Tobacco use during pregnancy contributes to miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. See Women and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General 2001.
4 Professor Stuart Campbell. 2002. 4D, or not 4D: That is the Question. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. January; 19(1):2.
