water

[peanut]

I can think of several reasons why this may be a stupid question but considering you spend the first 9 months of your life in water, would you be able to spend your whole life underwater if you were born under water?

[David H]

Basically no, the reason being that until the baby is born it doesn't breathe, but gets its oxygen from the mother via the placenta. Once it's cut, the baby has to start breathing through it's nose as we all do, and rely on its own lungs for the first time.

[Octavius]

Even a fish has to come up for air occasionally

[jimmer]

even a fish... i dont believe some of you people. Anyway the answer is yes you would be able to spend your whole life under the water. it would be a very short life but it would be possible.

 

jim

[Octavius]

Technically, that would be a still-birth.  Or murder.

[Noweia]

Fish don't have to come up for air unless they are one of the few fish species evolved to breathe air  - all others filter oxygen from their environment via gills.  Only in water with a very low oxygen content (eg a poorly maintained fishtank) will fish occasionaly rise to the surface to get extra oxygen :)

[Corkyb]

David H... I think you mean the umbilical cord!

Dr. Robert Winstone did a programme on TV some time ago and was explaining that babies instinctively hold their breath then underwater up to about the age of 4-6 months old, but after that the instinct is lost.

The only way you could live your life under water is either with scuba diving gear, or in a specially designed living environment that supplies you with oxygen.