ARE WE ASTRONAUTS BEFORE BIRTH? A MIRACLE OF INTRAUTERINE LIFE

Abstract

Although a life in the womb is often described as a miracle of nature, it is still a mystery connected with many controversies even though science has the means to follow fetal intrauterine development virtually from the conception. Fetal assessment is undertaken to determine its’ development and well-being using different techniques. Assessment of fetal well-being can begin in early and late pregnancy, and during labor. An important ultrasound method for the evaluation of neurological well-being of the fetus is four-dimensional ultrasound (4D US) suitable for assessment of fetal behavior. While assessing behavior using 4D US examiner is trying to understand how fetus is adapted in intrauterine environment by observation of different movements of the body, extremities and the head including facial expressions. From the evolutionary point of view temperature (either cold, hot or thermoneutral) and gravity (microgravity, or 1G Earth gravity) belong to controlling mechanisms of the origin and evolution of life on Earth. Intrauterine milieu with microgravity is important for overall development of human beings. In this environment every individual is being prepared to be exposed to hostile extrauterine conditions characterized by cold and by Earth gravity (1G). Cold-induced activity and adaptation to cold can substitute 15 to 20% of the gravity and induce the activity of slow muscular fibers. After we were born or in other words while we landed from the universe and were exposed to cold, high oxygen concentrations and gravity, we stopped being astronauts and continued life as humans whose first year of development was marked by the tyranny of gravity.
The aim of the paper is to speculate about the significance of intrauterine environment in terms of development and preparation of the fetus to be exposed to hostile extrauterine milieu.