From time to time, curious ultrasounds that show us some gesture of the baby come to light, especially if we see a recording, and the baby does not stop moving and gesturing in the womb. A recent study shows us what are the most frequent gestures of the baby in the womb.
The joint (moving the mouth as if speaking) was the most common facial expression in the 25 to 27 weeks of gestation; The frequency of the joint was significantly higher than that of the other facial expressions, followed by yawning.
It seems clear that the movements of the baby in the womb are not reduced to the kicks that future moms notice. And that new technologies have made it possible to approach many of these imperceptible gestures from the outside, giving us unthinkable details a few decades ago.
The study, entitled "4D ultrasound evaluation of fetal facial expressions during the latter stages of the second trimester" ("Evaluation through 4D ultrasound of fetal facial expression during the last stages of the second quarter ") has been published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
It was recorded for 15 minutes in a row, through the 4D ultrasound technique, to 24 healthy fetuses from 25 to 27 weeks pregnant. The frequencies of the different gestures (articulate, stick out the tongue, yawn, suck, blink, frown, and smile) were compared with those observed at 28-34 weeks gestation in a previous study.
Many of the baby's facial expressions in the womb were significantly less frequent than those observed in pregnancies with a few more weeks, which leads the authors to conclude that the frequency of these gestures of the fetus is indicative of their correct neurological development.
