Babies Create a Mental Map of Their Body Before They Ever Leave the Womb

Among the most exciting moments during pregnancy is when a mother-to-be feels her baby move inside her. Now, research suggests that that kicking isn't just for kicks: With each kick and jab, your baby may be mapping out its brain and building an information superhighway.

These kicks, known as fetal movements, enable a baby to construct a basic brain network so that it can understand what part of the body is moving and how it is being touched, the researchers found.

This early spatial mapping lasts only until birth, when within just a few days, the very same types of movements no longer have the same effect on the brain. It is as if the movements in the womb are preparing the baby for life on the outside, providing the neural scaffolding upon which the brain will build layers of complexity with all the new kinds of sensory input in the world, the researchers suggested.

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