Ko te wahine he whare tangata, he waka tangata

Within the female is the nurturing home of humankind and the channel from the spiritual to the physical (Herangi-Panapa, 1998)

We are te kakano i ruia mai i Rangiatea. From the kākano (seed) develops the koi ora hou (a new life), which - while within the whare tangata (womb) - possesses mauri, whakapapa, wairua, hau and pūmanawa (natural talents). The survival and the prosperity of our people is determined by the protection of our whakapapa.

Mana tūpuna helps us know who we are, from whom we descend, and what our obligations are to those who come after us. And we must celebrate that whakapapa in every heartbeat, every birth and in the lives we have lost. If we nourish and nurture respect for whānaungatanga, if we ensure protection of te whare tangata, we will truly be demonstrating our belief that our people are our wealth (Hon Tariana Turia, National Maori Sexual & Reproductive Health Conference 2004)

More than ever before we need to hold tight to protecting te whare tangata and the value that wāhine hapū have. 

The new research emerging shows the importance of providing the best environment for pēpi to develop and thrive in. As while in te whare tangata the pēpi is nurtured and growth begins. However the way that pēpi grows and prepares itself for the outside world heavily depends on the environment the māmā provides before becoming hapū, during pregnancy and then during infancy.

As it is suggested that what happens during these important times can impact the child’s risk of having all sorts of diseases later in life such heart disease and diabetes.

 One of the ways this is suggested to operate is through epigenetic changes (changes in DNA) and developmental plasticity through predictive adaptation.

Basically this means that pēpi uses cues from the māmā and the environment she provides to change or adapt their growth and development so that they are best suited to live in the world they have predicted. As an effect the pēpi‘s DNA and brain development (or wiring) is altered in order to do this.

For example if pēpi doesn’t receive enough kai and nutrients during pregnancy their growth is altered – they are born smaller.  Also  pēpi may also predict that they are going to receive limited kai again and change (predictive adaptation) so that they can store more nutrients just in case.

However as we know the world our babies are born into today is one of energy dense, nutrient poor foods (e.g. high in fat, sugar and salt foods with little goodness) that are easy to access, so while pēpi was clever to adapt and be able to store extra nutrients they are now unmatched to the real world. As an effect they may be more susceptible to other conditions such as weight gain, diabetes and heart problems later on.

Even small developmental changes and the environment māmā first creates for pēpi can also influence their food preferences, their appetite control ( how hungry they get and how much they need to eat to feel full) and also may influence their exercise behaviour  later on. So even though some of these subtle changes do not cause problems or disease initially and the pregnancy and birth might be normal, over time the risk of pēpi having health problems later in life is increased.

It’s all quite incredible really and while the science behind it all gets a little heavy it really highlights the importance of a healthy māmā and papa before conception, protecting te whare tangata during pregnancy and in those first 1000 days of pēpi’s life. However it’s not all up to the wahine as there are now investigations into the changes that occur during conception that are influenced by te ira  tāne and how much affect ngā tāne can have too.

So really our focus should be on staying fit and healthy throughout our lives and our children’s lives. As the saying goes in every conceivable way whānau are our past, our present and our future.

Therefore it is our obligation to look after ourselves, protect te whare tangata, our tamariki, our rangatahi. By doing so we will ensure that all those that come after us are given the best opportunity to not only survive but actually thrive in today’s world and in years to come without being held back by health conditions.

For more information:

 The Role of Developmental Plasticity and Epigenetics in Human Health.

Sir Peter Gluckman, Mark Hanson and Felicia Low.  Birth Defect Research. 2011