Many parents talk to their unborn child but new research suggests there is little point - a baby in the womb cannot hear a thing.
A New Zealand research team has found that babies in utero are in a deep sleep until they are born.
While a foetus can react to sound and move away from painful stimuli like needles, it is unlikely to be able to consciously hear or feel.
The study contradicts the views of many paediatric experts, who say more research needs to be done.
Professor David Mellor, from Massey University in New Zealand, undertook the research that shows that foetuses cannot properly hear or feel until they are out of the womb.
"I think we need to distinguish between actually hearing, experiencing sound, being consciously aware of sound, and the impact of nerve impulses going along the nerves from the ears to the brain having an affect on the brain and its development and the pathways that are being laid down," Professor Mellor said.
"We would say that the foetus doesn't consciously hear sound impulses but that those sound impulses can affect the brain.
Professor Mellor says likewise, a foetus will react to pain impulses but not actually feel the sensation as pain.
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A New Zealand research team has found that babies in utero are in a deep sleep until they are born.
While a foetus can react to sound and move away from painful stimuli like needles, it is unlikely to be able to consciously hear or feel.
The study contradicts the views of many paediatric experts, who say more research needs to be done.
Professor David Mellor, from Massey University in New Zealand, undertook the research that shows that foetuses cannot properly hear or feel until they are out of the womb.
"I think we need to distinguish between actually hearing, experiencing sound, being consciously aware of sound, and the impact of nerve impulses going along the nerves from the ears to the brain having an affect on the brain and its development and the pathways that are being laid down," Professor Mellor said.
"We would say that the foetus doesn't consciously hear sound impulses but that those sound impulses can affect the brain.
Professor Mellor says likewise, a foetus will react to pain impulses but not actually feel the sensation as pain.
Read More
