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Verny's book takes us on a psychic journey into the depths of human development. He demonstrates, with passion, the unequivocal significance of intrauterine life by presenting the unborn child as a feeling, remembering, and responding being. Verny's work is revolutionary in that it challenges all of our previous notions of intellectual and emotional development and introduces us to an, until now, seldom imagined alternative. The foundation of his work is simply, “What happens after birth is an elaboration of, and depends on, what happened prior to it.” From this premise we follow Verny through an extraordinary investigation of the child's life in utero.
The book begins by providing some basic facts, not unfamiliar to the general public, regarding precautions every woman should take into consideration during pregnancy, e.g., the effects of smoking, alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition on the unborn child. However, Verny goes further to suggest that not only physiological factors, but psychological ones, as well, may have a tremendous impact on the unborn, and consequently, may produce certain emotional (and physical) predispositions for neuroses, manifested after birth. Drawing on findings from all areas of science he provides compelling examples to support his hypotheses regarding mother-child prenatal communication and comes to some enlightening conclusions concerning the far-reaching importance of the prenatal experience. For example, it is Verny's belief that there exists a direct correlation between maternal disposition toward pregnancy and the biological susceptibility of the fetus. Thus, he prescribes the formulation of a strong intrauterine bond (along with suggestions on how to accomplish this) between mother and child as the best protection against the outside world's dangers and uncertainties.