Learning starts in the womb

In Karnataka, as in much of rural India, formal education typically begins around the age of three, often through Anganwadis or preschools. Until then, the focus remains largely on the health, nutrition, and well-being of both mother and child. Programmes like the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Vatsalya Vahini, supported by ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, emphasise maternal and child health, offering limited scope for play-based activities. Structured cognitive stimulation, however, remains minimal at this stage.

Emerging research in developmental science suggests that the foundations of learning are laid much earlier—potentially even before birth. Studies in prenatal development show that foetuses, particularly in the third trimester, can recognise familiar voices, especially their mother’s, and respond to auditory stimuli like music and speech. These insights compel us to reconsider long-held assumptions about when learning truly begins.

The pioneering work of American psychologist David Chamberlain, a leader in prenatal and perinatal psychology, challenged conventional thinking by proposing that foetuses are more aware and responsive than previously believed. In his book The Mind of Your Newborn Baby (1988) Chamberlain argued that unborn babies may exhibit early forms of perception and memory. While some of his views remain debated in mainstream science, they have sparked deeper inquiry into foetal sensory and emotional development.

Building on this, Peter Fedor-Freybergh, another key figure in prenatal psychology, has emphasised the vital role of a mother’s emotional and psychological state in shaping foetal development. His work suggests that a calm, nurturing prenatal environment can have long-term benefits for a child’s emotional health.

This view is further supported by science journalist Annie Murphy Paul, whose 2010 book Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives explores the “foetal origins” hypothesis. According to this view, prenatal factors such as maternal nutrition, stress levels, and emotional well-being can significantly impact not only birth outcomes but also long-term physical, emotional, and cognitive traits.

Interestingly, Indian culture has long held the belief that unborn children are receptive to external influences. Stories from epics like the Mahabharata—including Abhimanyu learning about battle formations in the womb—underscore this traditional wisdom. These cultural narratives may provide a strong foundation for engaging rural communities in prenatal care and early developmental interventions.

In many Indian households, it is customary for expectant mothers to return to their parental homes for rest and better nourishment—a practice that implicitly supports the idea of fostering a nurturing prenatal environment.

While prenatal responsiveness to stimuli is promising, it must be complemented by early postnatal learning support. Research consistently shows that the first three years are critical for brain development. Cognitive theorists like Jean Piaget and educators like Maria Montessori emphasised that children are natural learners and that structured, age-appropriate activities can significantly influence intellectual and emotional growth.

Unfortunately, in practice, early educational interventions remain underutilised in India. Caregivers often focus more on keeping children entertained than on engaging them in developmentally enriching activities. However, even simple, play-based learning programmes can boost cognitive, language, and social skills.

By equipping mothers with knowledge and practices that support emotional well-being and foetal health, we can begin nurturing a child’s development even before birth. 

The Government of India took a progressive step by launching Navchetana—National Early Childhood Care and Education Stimulation Framework in March 2024, under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The framework rightly emphasises early intervention and care from the prenatal stage to age three. Yet, in Karnataka, there is little visible effort to integrate it into grassroots programmes. Field observations show that ASHAs and Anganwadi workers are often unaware of the framework, and training has failed to reach rural areas. Meanwhile, the persistent rates of malnutrition among pregnant women and newborns reveal the shortcomings of the existing health and nutrition schemes. The absence of cognitive and emotional stimulation during pregnancy and early infancy further widens the developmental gap. This underlines the urgent need for community-based models that align with Navchetana’s vision while addressing the gaps in its implementation.

(The author is the founder
trustee of Pratham Mysore)