新「育児の原理」

Dear mothers-to-be

I sincerely hope that you’ll be fully aware of the mind and body of your baby prior to becoming mothers so that all children will be filled with “joie de vivre” (the joy of living).
Every piece of information I would like to offer as a pediatrician can be found in this single book.
Noboru Kobayashi

“Motherology” is an “indispensable course” for women who wish to learn about babies before becoming mothers. The course can be available to and beneficial for female high school/university students and nursery school teachers as a teaching and training material.


(MOTHEROLOGY – quoted from sensory-based communication of “mother-infant interaction”)

Author of Motherology “Learning about babies, then entering into motherhood.”

Supreme Advisor, Aprica Childcare Institute・アップリカ育児研究所

Noboru Kobayashi M.D.

Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo
President Emeritus, National Children’s Hospital
Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo (Doctor of Medicine).
Studied in UK and USA.
1970－1984 Professor of Pediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo.
1984－1987 First Director of the Pediatric Research Center of the National Children’s Hospital
1987－1996 President, National Children’s Hospital [current National Center for Child Health and Development] (served until retirement)
After retirement, successively held important governmental and academic positions including being a member of The Japanese Ad Hoc Council on Education, the Central Pharmaceutical Affairs Council, Council on Population Problems, etc. Also served as a board member of the Japan Pediatric Society, the Japanese Society of Allergology and President of the International Pediatric Association, First Director of the Japanese Society of Baby Science, Director of International Center for Child Studies (Konan Women’s University) and the Japanese Society for Breastfeeding Research, Director/President of the Japanese Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, and the leader of the Welfare Ministry’s Research Group for Clinical Application of Mother-Infant Interaction. Currently serves as the Honorary Director of the Japanese Society of Child Science and Child Research Net, and Supreme Advisor for the Aprica Childcare Institute. Dr. Kobayashi is fondly called “Koby” by American and English doctors. Many of his publications and his involvement in translation/supervision/editorial work include, “Reflecting upon Pediatrics in the Last Half of the 20th Century ・ Koby’s Notes” (Tokyo Igakusha), “Kodomogaku [Child Science]” (Nippon Hyoron Sha), “New System of Pediatrics, in a total of 41 Volumes” (Co-authored publication, Nakayama Shoten) and the editing of “Childcare Basics:The Japanese Method” by Jushichiro Naito,“Motherology-Learning about babies, then entering into motherhood. ” (Aprica Childcare Institute).

MOTHEROLOGY – quoted from sensory-based communication of “mother-infant interaction”

The basis of baby’s development lies in the sensory communication of “mother-infant interaction”.

Mother-infant interaction switches on various programs in the mother and child. Mother-infant interaction is a form of communication between a mother and her baby made through their sensory organs including eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. This interaction activates various programs for nurturing of children, which have been attained through the course of evolution. For these programs to be activated and to function properly, both the mother and baby need to be in a calm and relaxed psychological and mental state.

The parent-child relationship, which is the very basis of child-rearing, begins with the mother-infant relationship established in the neonatal and particularly the early stages of infancy. The establishment of the parent-child relationship fully matures when the relationship is expanded with the father-child relationship. It is believed that the interpersonal relationships a person makes throughout his/her life can all be traced back to this mother-infant relationship. Child-rearing will not be on track unless the mother-infant relationship is established at an early stage. The bond between the mother and the baby is created upon the love of the mother toward her baby and the attachment of the baby to his/her mother.

In order to create this bond, first to be mentioned is that an active approach from the mother is important after giving birth to her baby. The act of mothers reaching out to their babies is not brought about by education but as a result of the program of physical contact (known as skinship* in Japan), and it is crucial for mothers and babies to stay side by side from immediately after labor.

Furthermore, for the establishment and full development of this mother-infant relationship, mutual interaction through which the mother and baby influence one another via their senses is essential. This is known as the mother-infant interaction. The mother-infant interaction activates programs to work on the mind and body of both the mother and baby in certain ways. The mother begins to produce breast milk. Breast milk is fed to her baby, nourishing his/her body and mind, and the baby can soundly grow and develop in both physical and psychological aspects. The communication through sensory organs, or in other words, “mother-infant interaction” is the very basis of the development of any baby. From the mother to the baby, stimulating inputs such as “gazing into the baby’s eyes with a loving smile”, “holding the baby in her arms”, “gently stroking the baby” and “affectionately talking to the baby” are necessary. At the same time, in order for the mother to acknowledge the baby and establish maternal instincts, stimulating inputs from the baby including “crying”, “smiling” and “moving arms and legs” is equally necessary.

It is considered that the crucial period for the mother to attain maternal instincts toward her baby is relatively limited at one to two weeks after childbirth whereas the baby requires a relatively long timespan of about one year to develop affection toward his/her mother. In animals, the importance of imprinting in a short period of time is demonstrated but there are still many unclear points regarding imprinting in humans. Nonetheless imprinting in human babies cannot be denied and that is why the period immediately after childbirth is crucial for the mother as well as for the baby. This limited period is called the sensitive period of the mother and baby.

Editorial Supervisor : Noboru Kobayashi M.D.

“Motherology” is compiled with the following chapters:


Preface : To all future mothers
―Babies and mothers are preinstalled with a “program to grow” and a “program to raise” respectively, attained through the course of human evolution―open
  1. There are “Programs of Mind and Body” for happiness within babies and mothers. Our remote genetic ancestor was a small monkey which appeared in ancient Africa – the evolution of the brain –
  2. Babies are born with those “Programs of Mind and Body”, built in their genes and brains, which have been acquired through the process of evolution.
  3. The concept of “program” and “system”
  4. Hard programs and soft programs
  5. The psychological interaction between mother and baby activating one another’s
  6. programs of mind and body
  7. The five principles of development
  8. Rational information and emotional information
  9. Basic trust is built with “emotional information”
  10. To raise a baby is to activate the baby’s programs of mind and body
Chapter 1 : Getting to know the fetus in the womb
―Programs of fetuses’ mind and body―open
  1. The heart is beating in a baby as small as 6 millimeters.
  2. The size of a baby is approximately 12 mm when a woman notices her pregnancy
  3. The rapidly-developing brain
  4. Breathing practice
  5. Seeing and hearing
  6. Reflex behavior in the womb
  7. Sucking fingers even in the womb
  8. Drinking amniotic fluid
  9. Walking practice
  10. Fetuses can smile too
  11. Fetuses think too
  12. Stress of the mother and protection against rubella
Chapter 2 : Getting to know your newborn
―Programs of newborns’ mind body―open
  1. With the first cry, the baby breathes
  2. Newborns can see immediately after birth
  3. The heads of the newborns are clear – newborn wakefulness –
  4. The brain of a newborn weighs almost as much as 300 grams
  5. - The shaking of babies, particularly their heads, can be fatal –
  6. Suckling
  7. Sense of smell
  8. Crying
  9. Walking
  10. Hormones that influence growth and development
  11. Sleep encourages the secretion of growth hormone, promoting physical growth – never leave the baby sleeping on his/her stomach.
  12. Communication with the newborn from right after birth.
  13. 5 reasons why babies cannot adjust their body temperature
  14. Smiling
  15. Chain reaction of smiles – program of imitation –
  16. Energy requirements of babies
  17. Breast milk has all the water and the 5 nutritional components babies require
  18. Stress of the baby
Chapter 3 : Finally becoming a mother
―Programs of mothers’ mind and body―open
  1. Program of skin-ship (physical communication)
  2. Program of breast milk secretion
  3. Contents of breast milk
  4. Immunity of breast milk
  5. Changes in breast milk
  6. How breast milk is secreted
  7. Amount of secretion and the weight of the baby
  8. Breast milk and the psychological state of the mother
  9. The “motherly love” hormone for maternal affection and female beauty
  10. Flora begins from the mother’s hugs
Chapter 4 : Babies grow soundly with the “mother-infant interaction”, the communication through sensory organs
―Switching on the programs of the mind and body―open
  1. “Mother-infant interaction” – communication through senses:
  2. Mother-infant interaction by the sense of touch
  3. Mother-infant interaction by the sense of sight
  4. Mother-infant interaction by the sense of hearing
  5. Mother-infant interaction by the sense of smell
  6. Mother-infant interaction by the sense of taste
  7. Breast milk and mother-infant interaction
Chapter 5 : “Kindness”, the sensory information for stimulating the five senses, fills the baby with the joy of living
―Switching on the program of feeling deep emotions―open
  1. When the five senses are comforted and pleased, one can be “filled with joie de vivre (the joy of living)” – the memory of tea and madeleine –
  2. The number of synapses in neurons peaks during infancy.
  3. “Kindness” the information of sensitivity that stimulates the five senses can bring about deep emotions to LIFE
  4. Kindness and the physical growth of a child
  5. Kindness and the psychological development of a child
  6. Kindness and illnesses
  7. Kindness and labor
  8. Experience of receiving kindness controls the “program of creating the mind to attack others”.
Chapter 6 : Education and learning
―witching on the program of learning mindset and enthusiasm―open
  1. Babies are born as information seekers – Program of curiosity -
  2. Baby’s program of learning mindset
  3. Speech is developed with “Motherese” (the language of the mothers)
  4. Conjugate gaze of the baby and mother nurtures “imagination”
  5. When the “pleasure” is recognized in the brain, the neurotransmitters including endorphins are actively secreted and they create the feeling of being rewarded, triggering “enthusiasm” – program of motivation)
  6. Program of the mind associating with memory
  7. Education and learning
Chapter 7 : Making a “bond” between the mother and baby in one to two weeks after labor
―graduation from “Motherology”―open
  1. The mechanism of bond building between the mother and baby
  2. Emotional attachment and independence
  3. The role of the father
  4. Course correction can be done through “verbal” reasoning during adolescence
Final Chapter : Definition of babies
Babies are a “life” form whose sophisticated neural functions known as the “mind” are shaped through “childcare”. They are the origin of human diversity.open
  1. Babies are the source of human “diversity”.
  2. Babies are the new life of humans, a life form with the full potential of sophisticated neurological functioning known as the “mind” is reached through “child-rearing”.
Temporal classification of childhoodopen
  1. Temporal classification of childhood

  • 母学　赤ちゃんを知る。そして母になる。
  • 母学　赤ちゃんを知る。そして母になる。
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