Memories of the Womb

A new Dutch study suggests short-term memory may be present in foetuses at 30 weeks of age

A new Dutch study suggests short-term memory may be present in foetuses at 30 weeks of age. Studies over the years have revealed more about the neurological development of humans before birth, but researchers are still trying to figure out when memory begins and how long it can last. The team used an ultrasound to study how foetuses in nearly 100 pregnant women respond to a specific stimulus, a ‘vibroacoustic stimulation’—a very low sound that vibrates. When the foetus first receives the stimulation, it is startled. But after repeated trials of the same stimulation, 30 seconds apart, the foetus gets used to the sound and doesn’t react. A normal foetus, of about 30 or 32 or 34 weeks, would stop responding after 13 or 14 stimuli. This lessened response to a repeated stimulus is called habituation, a process that both humans and animals are known to experience. For example, you may become habituated to the sound of your AC at night. It’s a form of learning and memory. The researchers found that 30-week-old foetuses had a ‘memory’ of 10 minutes.

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