According to Agin, a molecular geneticist at the University of Chicago (Junk Science
), a “silent pandemic” is causing untold damage to babies while they are in the womb. Toxic chemicals in the environment are assaulting developing fetuses, as are substances (such as alcohol and nicotine) ingested by pregnant women and capable of dramatically altering developmental pathways. According to Agin, the role of the intrauterine environment has largely been ignored by scientists who look to genes and a child's postbirth environment to explain behavior issues, mental illness and IQ. He demonstrates, too, that all the fuss about race and IQ is meaningless because the prenatal environment may have a huge role in determining intelligence. Agin is at his most powerful in the final chapter, in which he argues that without good prenatal care, poverty “readily transforms into an inherited disease.” Agin marshals the scientific data to build an impressive case for his perspective, particularly regarding developmental problems in American babies compared with those in the rest of the world—it is frightening and deserves widespread attention. (Nov.)
