The “love” of things NATURAL, is hardwired into the human brain. Young and old, rich and poor benefit from green medicine. So do babes in the womb.

Seeing green is good medicine.

Few people, even self-declared dirt phobic types, do not appreciate an opportunity to view nature, up close and person.   Communing with nature is therapeutic. A dose or two, of green medicine, lifts the soul and improves body chemistry.

The “love” of things NATURAL, is hardwired into the human brain. Young and old, rich and poor benefit from green medicine.

So do babes in the womb.

In the green zone

A team of Israeli researchers tracked how much green medicine, 39 132 babies got, during their time in the womb.   The babies were all born to women living in the midst of the concrete jungle of the city of Tel Aviv, between 2000 and 2006.

Rather than just ask the Mom’s about how green their world was, the researchers turned to satellite data and calculated whether a Mom resided in or near a green zone.  The satellite imagery allowed the team to pinpoint little green spaces, such as trees and green verges, as well as big green spaces, such as parks and cemeteries.

Each baby got a “greenness” score, this score was then plotted against the baby’s birth weight.

Greening the womb

Made a difference to birth weight.

The more green, the more baby.   And more baby is more-often than not, a good thing, because a low birth weight, is a sign of trouble…..

• either baby came too early i.e. the baby was preterm, or
• for one reason or another, baby did not develop “efficiently” in the womb

Either way, a low birth weight is RISKY business. And low birth weights are typically associated with health complications, both at the time of birth and into the future.

This research suggested, green moments during pregnancy, benefited babies.

A womb with a view

So…. give your baby a green view.

Take a stroll in the garden or a nearby park….

• walk on the grass,
• smell the roses,
• get a little dirt on your shoes or better yet, between your toes

Spending time IN NATURE, is not a luxury, but a necessity, green moments help both Moms and babies thrive.

PS.   Make sure you have a plant at the office too.

Further reading

If you are an expectant Mom or know someone that is – invite them to participate, so they can create Better Body Chemistry during their pregnancy and raise a HAPPY HEALTHY little one.