This pioneering study looks at the effects of prenatal testosterone on                  postnatal development and behavior. Hormonal effects on behavior have long been                  studied in animals; the unique contribution of this book is to suggest a connection                  between human fetal hormones and later behavior. It details for the first time                  testosterone's effect on social and language development, opening a new avenue of                  research for cognitive neuroscience.The authors look at samples of amniotic fluid                  taken during amniocentesis at 16 weeks' gestation, and relate the fetal level of                  testosterone (which is present in fetuses of both sexes, although in different                  quantities) to behavior at ages 1, 2, and 4 years. They argue that the amniotic                  fluid provides a window into the child's past -- a chemical record of that child's                  time in the womb -- that allows informed prediction about the child's future brain,                  mind, and behavior. This is not the retrospective speculation of psychoanalysis,                  they point out, but an opportunity to study development prospectively and trace                  developmental precursors and causes of later cognition.The study suggests that                  prenatal levels of testosterone affect a range of later behaviors in children, from                  the inclination to make eye contact with others to the size of the vocabulary. It                  also suggests that prenatal testosterone level may be related to the development of                  typically "masculine" and "feminine" behaviors. The study's ongoing research                  explores whether fetal testosterone has any link with the risk of developing autism.                  Connecting endocrinology and psychology, the authors propose that there is a                  biological component to behaviors often thought to be produced by the social                  environment.

Prenatal Testosterone in Mind: Amniotic Fluid Studies PDF

The list of books you might like