The moment babies begin to recognise faces is actually much sooner than we thought, according to new research out of the UK.
In fact, the ability to distinguish faces from other shapes develops during the third trimester of pregnancy, before a baby is even born.
Using remarkable 4D ultrasound technology, scientists from Lancaster University tested how 39 foetuses would react to face-like images projected into their mother’s uterus.
By shining the careful arrangements of light through the uterine wall, they found the unborn infants would turn towards those that resembled human faces.
“There was the possibility that the foetus would find any shape interesting due to the novelty of the stimulus,” Professor Vincent Reid, who led the research told Cosmos Magazine.
“If this was the case, we would have seen no difference in how they responded to the upright and upside-down versions of the stimuli. But it turned out that they responded in a way that was very similar to infants.”
LISTEN: Here's what you can expect in the first six weeks after giving birth (post continues)...
Previously, scientists had assumed newborns learned to fixate on faces after they were born, but the new findings suggest it might be an innate mechanism.
The research also confirms that baby's senses are well developed before they enter the world, so parents should begin interacting with their little ones while they're still in the womb.
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Top Comments
Not bad for a " bunch of cells"
Third trimester (from 25weeks) isn't a bunch of cells. 1st trimester can be considered a bunch of cells and this is when the majority of abortions take place.
The article says it's during the third trimester of pregnancy. If you're snarkily referencing pro-choice arguments, that argument is still sound, because this article is talking about a phase of pregnancy that women rarely seek abortions during. And if they do, it's usually for serious medical reasons.
It would seem to me that this creates an immediate discussion point regarding abortion. The age of the fetuses in the study mentioned is around 25 weeks.
Given that most abortions terminate before the 20 week mark, no, actually this doesn't create "immediate discussion" at all. You might argue it is relevant to late term abortions (which constitute a tiny fraction of all abortions), but they are already subject to restrictions and ongoing ethical debate.
I don't disagree with you. My main point was that I thought it was unusual that the age was not mentioned in the article when it seems to me to be one of the most relevant bits.
To be fair, the article mentions the "third trimester" - I guess it assumes readers understand this is in the late stages of pregnancy...?
The third trimester of pregnancy is from about 28 weeks onwards.............