Taekyo (fetal education) is a kind of education given during the fetal life, i.e., the prenatal period and it has been told and transmitted from generation to generation in Oriental societies (Korea, China and Japan) since old times. The author gathered literatures on Taekyo extensively, dividing them into two categories, i.e., the general literatures and the Oriental medical literatures and reviewed the contents of them. Attempts to study on Taekyo from various points of view were made the review of history on prenatal influeces and/or “maternal impressions” with reference to Taekyo, the comparison of both categories of literatures, the relations between Taekyo and folklores (both German & Korean), the meaning and the validity of Taekyo viewed from modern Western medicines and also from the aspect of modern Western psychiatry. It was revealed that the pregnant woman in Oriental aocieties has been expected to educate her own child in his prenatal or fetal life as a parental duty for him since the ancient times. Similarly, in the West, there are known descriptions about the prenatal influences and/or “maternal impressions” in Old Testament and the writings of Hippocrates and the beliefs on “maternal impressions” had been transmitted up to the end of the nineteenth century at which time the scientific researches on “maternal impressions” were begun. However, no system atic or organized descriptions like Taekyo were found in the Western literatures. Taekyo can be defined as an education given to the child during prenatal period through attentions and precautions of a pregnant woman to her own behaviour and attitude of mind aiming at good influences on her child subsequently. The contents of Taekyo are 1) The pregnant woman must observe her own behaviour and perceptions maintaining the right conduct and the right perception, 2) The pregnant woman must behave, speak and think with courtesy, 3) In her own attitude of mind, i.e., mental and emotional attitudes, the pregnant woman must make all effort to purify her mind, to put her mind at rest and to control her mind maintaining the harmony, 4) T he pregnant woman must make all effort to have her child identify the man of maturity and ideal, 5) Though the pregnant woman is the main person who gives education to her child, all the relatives in the house including husand are bound to participate in Taekyo. It appears that the main theoretical background of Taekyo is in accordance with the principles of Oriental philosophy and Oriental medicines which are based on the harmony and parallelism of mind and body as well as well as the holistic and the comprehensive views on man. In addition, the expressions of shamanistic way of thinking and magics are also recognized. With reference to folklores (Korean and German) related to the birth it seems that both folklores are similar in contents to considerable extent and they showed more shamanistic natures than that of Taekyo. Since the outset of scientific researches on maternal impressions” at the end of the nineteenth century the mechanism and the validty of “maternal impressions” seem to have gradually been verifiable and T aekyo can also be validated accordingly. It appears that the practicing Taek yo can serve the promotion of mental health, the prevention of certain psychiatric disorders and also it can play arole of directive psychotherapy if properly done.