The phenomenon of prenatal childhood

Introduction . A child’s life and all aspects of his health begin long before birth, and the prenatal stage of childhood is critically important, no less than any subsequent years of postnatal life. The purpose of the study : substantiation of the phenomenon of prenatal childhood and its role in shaping the trajectory of development and health status throughout life. Materials and methods . A comprehensive analysis of available scientific data has been carried out in the direction of overdue changes in terminology of the stages of prenatal development, pedagogical and psychological approaches, legal aspects, as well as conducted research on pre- and postnatal periods of development, unique domestic scientific developments and the results of their application. Results . Identifying an intrauterine child as an independent person, communicating with him, singing songs to him, responding to his movements, waiting for his birth is absolutely necessary for the full development of the individual. Prenatal communication between a child and a mother is a form of prenatal care, attachment education, and is necessary to ensure the psychophysical and emotional health of a growing child. Therefore, prenatal childhood is the most important period of human formation and growth, critically important not only for somatic, but also for mental development, ultimately determining the entire subsequent life of a person. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, every human being is a child from the moment of conception to the age of 18 and, of course, has the right to a name. New knowledge, accumulated clinical and experimental data indicate that an intrauterine child has emotional perception and memory from the first months after conception. The time has come to eliminate the use of the previously used term “fetus” in relation to an intrauterine child, which does not meet either legal or bioethical goals, but designates only a part of the intrauterine period of life, while in its meaning it associates the child with plants, thereby contributing to the dehumanization of the prenatal stage of development. Conclusion . The Russian system of child health protection, characterized, among other things, by a social orientation, is unique. The potential for implementing large–scale government initiatives aimed at supporting families, preserving health, including reproductive health, as well as the preventive possibilities of prenatal pedagogy and prenatal psychology, will be achievable provided that the prenatal period of life is fully legally secured – accepting the concepts of the intrauterine child, the beginning of life, while guaranteeing the rights of the child at the prenatal stage of development, the rights of the pregnant woman., both directly during pregnancy and after delivery. The widespread introduction of existing effective developments will allow us to raise healthier and more successful future generations of Russians.