A pregnant woman’s avid craving (paglilihi) over something will influence the unborn child’s physical characteristics.
It’s an old Filipino belief that a pregnant woman’s craving for a certain food will influence the physical attributes of her unborn baby. This is called paglilihi. This even extends to the belief that repugnant objects (such as limbless doll), even animals and their replicas (toads and monsters) should not be found lying about so as not to be the pregnant woman’s object of paglilihi.
Medical science has long been able to dispel the myths surrounding paglilihi. The first trimester (the first 14 weeks of pregnancy) is considered to be the most difficult periods for pregnant women. It is in this stage that the expectant mother experiences hormonal changes that affect her bodily functions. Because of these changes, clinical psychologists believe that pregnancy can render women more emotional. Symptoms can range from hypersensitivity of taste and smell, nausea, morning sickness, mood swings, and yes craving for a particular food.
Genetics tells us that we inherit the physical attributes form our parents’ or grandparents’ set of genes and not from the food that had been the object of our mom’s craving. It is absurd to say then that you have a dark complexion, because your mom avidly ate duhat (black plum) during the time that she was pregnant with you.
How about those born with congenital abnormalities or physical deformities, such as webbed feet, scaly skin, or pincers for a hand?
These are actually results of what is called genetic aberration (mutation) due to various external factors, such as exposure to X-ray, ultraviolet radiation, or chemicals that alter the genetic materials.
Source:
► Mella, Alfie, ‘Paglilihi’; A Philippine Cultural Myth. http://www.isnare.com/?id=&ea=Culture Pregnant Desires: Is There Medical Basis for a Woman’s Cravings during Pregnancy? http://www.medobserver.com/jun2002/printable/pregnant.html
► Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics
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