The Dangerous Womb

Dr. Kathleen Crowther

Medical concerns about fetal well-being have long focused on threats to the fetus from the mother rather than the external environment. The ancient Greeks accepted that fetuses were nourished in the womb, but also believed that blood was toxic. Another pre-modern medical doctrine was the notion of maternal imagination; anything that made a strong impression on a pregnant woman might leave an imprint on the fetus. While these older ideas have been debunked, the underlying. The idea that mothers pose a threat to their fetuses has continued to permeate our culture.

 

Join us

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

(Reception to follow)

Helmerich Browsing Room, OSU Library

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Event Video

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About the Author

Kathleen Crowther is an associate professor in the Department of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine at the University of Oklahoma. She is the author of the new book Policing Pregnant Bodies from Ancient Greece to Post-Roe America (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2023). Crowther has also published articles in Isis, Renaissance Quarterly, and the Journal for the History of Astronomy, as well as The Atlantic, Washington Post, and Nursing Clio.