One of my important discoveries from 50 years of research into Black People’s History has been problems affecting their babies from Acquired Emotional turmoil. Resultant chronic mental turmoil is of particular concern to pregnant women because Scientists in the field of Fetal Origins assert that their nine months of gestation constitute the most consequential period of human life. What happens then affects ones genes, the DNA inherited at conception to permanently influence a host of things in the developing fetus (e.g. the "wiring" of the brain and the functioning of organs such as the heart, liver, and pancreas). Environmental influences affecting the behavior of genes, without altering DNA, are called Epigenetic Modifications. The combination of parental genetic predisposition + intrauterine factors + ones childhood experiences (e.g. how one was treated), especially during the crucial first three years + ones kind of diet choices + the degree of exercise one does throughout ones lifetime account for ones ongoing health and lifestyle. Intrauterine factors of particular significance include the kind and quantity of nutrition the fetus receives (and poor prenatal nutrition is particularly damaging); the pollutants (e.g. from traffic, toxic water), drugs, and infections one was exposed to during gestation; the mother's health, stress level, and state of mind (e.g. moods) during the pregnancy; and beginning bonding. These shape ones susceptibility to all diseases (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular, allergies, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, mental illness, arthritis, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline); ones appetite and metabolism; ones intelligence and temperament. Of spotlighted concern to my research on the Fragile Black Babies Syndrome is that these research findings lend support to my proposition that a pregnant woman's mental state can shape her offspring's psyche and body.
To elaborate, as part of the Atlantic slave trade, at the moment the fishnet was thrown over the free African in Africa, each African immediately switched from using his/her Thriving Brain (neo-cortex) over to his/her Emergency Brain ("fight or flight"; Ancient Brain). Being thereafter in an ongoing survival mode, at no time during slavery was there an opportunity for the Enslaved to resume using their Thriving Brains. A major reason is that throughout African American slavery, the body of the Enslaved Black female was at the disposal of the slave owner, his sons, the plantation overseers, and any White males around. And they all took almost daily advantage of her body — for their pleasure and for money gains by breeding of more children for enslavement. Even sons were forced to impregnate their mothers—the origin of “mother-f**. There were innumerable otherMaafas (immeasurable catastrophes) of slavery (e.g. selling away family members; inhumane medical treatment and surgery without anesthesia) — any and all of which took most Enslaved to the bottom of Despair of the "no doubt" hopelessness type. Chances are this accumulation of daily horrors generated an "Atmosphere of Despair" Complex (ADC) across the plantation and within each of the Enslaved. That this conglomeration (e.g. the Enslaved “fight or flight” Omnibus Brain effects) manifested on the in-utero fetuses of Black babies is suggested by the high rate of fragile babies born to Enslaved females as well as to their descendants' babies, on up to the present. Desperation of the Enslaved, springing out of Despair, as well as a daily struggle to survive led to a lifestyle which centered on being ever alert to possible or actual danger; having a readiness to run any risk; suppression of all emotions; and simply trying to actually survive the day–a situation pertaining to this day.
Hence, a “no choice” permanent Emergency Brain varied mental activities led each to fashion a "survival" mental and self-protective habit lifestyle. Pertinent to this discussion is that in the recorded cases of spontaneous abortion, stillbirths, and deaths in childbirth, those among Enslaved women were three times as high as among White women. Infant mortality was twice as high for Black babies as for White babies in the slave states. Meanwhile, their exposures to slavery's horrendous hellishness resulted in accommodative brain anatomy modifications. One was/is neuro-plasticity (ones brain can physically grow and change according to its exposures). A second is that the Ancient Brain's Instinct, Omnibus (instincts with thought), and Brute subdivisions can be used selectively. Though each is quite different, they possess certain "Sameness" features. But, by their brains being part of the "Fight, Flight, Fright" nature, each had/have different self-defeating intents and displays. Examples include: some becoming Ideal Slaves/Oreos. Some resorted to imitating White people, as with Total Selfishness; Lack of Concern for others; treadmill Compulsions; Focus on the "Here and Now" excitement. Some were/are full of Despair—e.g. No Desire to Learn; No Self-Improvement efforts; problematic Morals. Most herd together to simply endure. All were constantly in a State of Survival Alertness; Resistant To Change; and brainwashed. All experienced excessive biochemical production of stress hormones causing accelerated Psychophysical destruction to themselves and to the fetuses of pregnant women. All engaged in Self-Protection patterns dominating daily living–whether realistic (for survival or self-preservation) or for Non-Sexual masochism to see how much pain they could take.
A third is that by the Omnibus Brain being intimately connected with the Autonomic Nervous System and hypothalamus, slavery’s hellish daily experiences generated a Temperament in mothers of "Fight, Flight, Fright, or Funk" actions/reactions of a survival, self-preservation, and self-protective nature. In turn, each Temperament is either an aroused survival state of thoughts and emotions or one of depression. These characteristics are seen today in large numbers of struggling Black Americans. Acquired Emotions are well-known to physiologically affect hormonal glands and the nervous system. Not only does this occur in pregnant mothers, but their excessive resultant hormonal secretions into their wombs increasingly adversely sensitize the nervous systems of their in-utero fetuses. Each type of hormone is capable of damaging or killing certain brain cells of the developing fetus and presumably cells in the mother's womb. Excessive stress hormone output causes elevated heart rate and blood pressure. So, what is likely to have happened is that, prior to birth, each fetus perhaps possessed epigenetic modifications fashioning a predisposition for biochemical or nervous tissue sensitivity inherited from the parents; a hypersensitive nervous system shaped over a nine month period of gestation by hormones from the mother's traumatized psyche; and the mother's excessive stress hormone generated elevated heart rate and blood pressure. These are associated with (among others) later Poor Academia and the “Negro Diseases” which lead to early death in later years. Prevention is called Hetep by—i.e. maintaining a profound sense of peace under all circumstances.jabaileymd.com