Kicking, Rolling, and… Crying?
Starting in the second trimester, parents may feel their baby moving inside the womb. But did you know that babies also practice crying before birth? While you can’t hear or feel it, research using ultrasound technology suggests babies may start developing the facial expressions of crying before they even take their first breath.
Ultrasound Observations
In a 2005 study, researchers recorded a fetus at 33 weeks making movements that look like crying. After a noise and vibration stimulus, the baby opened its jaw, tucked in its chin, and exhaled deeply—just like a crying motion. Similar behaviors were observed in about 6% of the babies studied.
No Sound, Just Practice
Though babies can’t cry out loud in the womb, they do seem to rehearse the facial expressions needed to cry after birth. Researchers have captured these “cry-face” and even “laughter-face” gestures in babies as young as 24 weeks, though these motions don’t produce sound in the fluid-filled amniotic sac.
Why Does It Matter?
Scientists believe these facial expressions may help identify developmental health issues in fetuses and prepare babies for life outside the womb, where crying will become an essential tool for communication.
Babies Crying in the Womb: Practice for the Big Day 👼
Kicking, Rolling, and… Crying?
Starting in the second trimester, parents may feel their baby moving inside the womb. But did you know that babies also practice crying before birth? While you can’t hear or feel it, research… pic.twitter.com/T0MHwfPuaY— Detective Tiger’s Stories (@TigerDetective) October 20, 2024