Baby yawns in womb

As researchers at the University of Durham claim to have conclusive proof that unborn babies yawb in the womb, a 4D scan appears to show a foetus doing just that.

We already know that unborn babies can stretch and even hiccup in the womb, but new research from the University of Durham concludes that they can also yawn. There has long been debate about whether foetuses really are capable of yawning, or whether they are just opening their mouths.

As part of a study published in the international journal PLOS ONE, researchers looked at 4D scan footage of 15 healthy foetuses and examined how long their mouths stayed open for. Using their newly developed criteria, the research team found that over half of the mouth openings observed in the study were classed as yawns.

Source

The scientists also claimed that yawning had a maturational function and that premature foetuses tend to yawn more often.

hmmm...pretty interesting.

I don't get it ? What would be the purpose in yawning while emersed in fluid.
Maybe I just don't understand the reason for a yawn

I remember being told that with my second child. They also hiccup and suck their thumbs in the womb. such precious little things! I remember feeling a strange rapid movement, and the dr said it was probably his hiccups i was feeling.

reply to post by azureskys


Well that's one of lifes many mysteries. It probably has something to do with releasing energy, but I'm no expert.

reply to post by stonebutterfly


I can't wait to see how this affects abortion threads.

2nd.