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Dear Readers,

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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Birth - no laughing matter?

Recently an astrologer friend clarified which is the exact moment of birth for horoscope purposes.  It is not the moment at which the baby exits from the womb.  It is the moment when he emits his first cry: for life begins with first breath (and ends with the last!)  Many a times the cry is induced by holding the baby upside down by its legs and slapping it!*

Some psychologists hypothesize that the inherent negativity in human beings springs from this negative first encounter with the world.

One night as my grandson was chitchatting with me before going to sleep, he asked, "How does a baby breathe inside its mom's tummy?"  I told him that it doesn't and then added as I remembered my astrologer friend that soon after birth it has to be slapped to make it cry so that it starts breathing.  My grandson was aghast and inquired whether the babies are slapped real hard?  I tried to calm him by stating that it is only a light slap.  But he persisted, "Well, they can just as well tickle the baby.  It will make the baby laugh and hence breathe!!!"

Though I find it difficult to believe that this has not occurred to any obstetrician to tickle a baby, I will be happy if someone could confirm that this doesn't or wont work.  Could it be that each one remembers his / her first slap and insists on inflicting the same on a newborn?

I did some research on the net to find if a baby has ever entered this world laughing.  Here is one link that I found. 


*  कबिरा वा दिन याद कर पग ऊपर तल शीश, मिरतलोक में आय के बिसर गया जगदीश.

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