I was listening to NPR yesterday and heard an interview w/ Dr. Sharon Moalem, author of 'Survival of the Sickest'. It was an excellent interview, and I went out to buy the book immediately (and just finished it). The book is about genes and how they influence evolution, specifically human.
He addressed waterbirth (and had many positive things to say about breastfeeding) and the alternate hypothesis that humans evolved the way we did (instead of the way apes did) w/ less hair, walking upright, fat attached underneath the skin, protruding noses w/ downward facing nostrils) because they spent time in and around the water, and we evolved to make it easier for us to hunt for fish. And he specifically talks about human birth in water and how we evolved to do that to compensate for the large brain of the newborn and the shape of the mother's pelvis. He discusses studies showing the safety to mom and baby of waterbirth. The original theory was presented in 'The Descent of Woman' by Elaine Morgan in 1972.
Anyway, very excellent book for anyone interested in genes and how they influence diabetes, cholesteral and iron levels, lots of interesting subjects.
Here is the link to the npr interview:
http://www.whyy.org/91FM/radiotimes.html
search for programs on Feb 28, 2007.
He addressed waterbirth (and had many positive things to say about breastfeeding) and the alternate hypothesis that humans evolved the way we did (instead of the way apes did) w/ less hair, walking upright, fat attached underneath the skin, protruding noses w/ downward facing nostrils) because they spent time in and around the water, and we evolved to make it easier for us to hunt for fish. And he specifically talks about human birth in water and how we evolved to do that to compensate for the large brain of the newborn and the shape of the mother's pelvis. He discusses studies showing the safety to mom and baby of waterbirth. The original theory was presented in 'The Descent of Woman' by Elaine Morgan in 1972.
Anyway, very excellent book for anyone interested in genes and how they influence diabetes, cholesteral and iron levels, lots of interesting subjects.
Here is the link to the npr interview:
http://www.whyy.org/91FM/radiotimes.html
search for programs on Feb 28, 2007.
: Thanks!
