Towards the Womb of Neonatal Intensive Care

AbstractWithin the mother ’s womb, life finds its first stirrings. The womb shelters the fetus, the growing child within. We recognize the existential traces of a wombed existence when a newborn calms in response to being held; when a newborn stills in response to his or her mother’s heartbeat; and, when a newborn startl es in the presence of bright light. Yet, how does experiential human life begin within another human being? What are the conditions and paths of becoming for the fetus within the womb? And for the child born early, what “womb” welcomes the premature child in neonatal intensive care?
Source: Journal of Medical Humanities - Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: research