The Impact Of Intrauterine Experiences On Psychosomatic Reactions In Adulthood

The article presents an analysis of contemporary scientific approaches to understanding the impact of intrauterine experiences on the development of psychosomatic reactions in adulthood. The study is based on an interdisciplinary methodology that integrates neurobiological, epigenetic, and psychodynamic concepts of fetal programming. Particular attention is given to the analysis of structural and functional brain changes, epigenetic markers of stress reactivity (NR3C1, SLC6A4), and the role of metabolic disturbances identified in newborns exposed to prenatal distress. The mechanisms of unconscious somatic memory formation and its manifestation as persistent psychosomatic symptoms are examined. The paper systematizes neurophysiological and epigenetic effects with consideration of sex differences, the nature of maternal distress, and the quality of the postnatal environment. The limitations of universal fetal programming models are highlighted, particularly in relation to cultural-geographical, genetic, and environmental variables. The article substantiates the need to move from monofactorial to integrative models that combine insights from neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and social epidemiology. The theoretical analysis is accompanied by an original interpretation of symptoms as a form of unconscious reconstruction of prenatal affective bonds, reflected in the structure of somatic memory and cognitive-emotional regulation. This article will be of interest to professionals in psychosomatic medicine, perinatal psychology, epigenetics, and clinical neuroscience, as well as practicing psychotherapists working with somatic symptoms of unclear origin.