Posted on 11/21/2012 8:48:51 PM PST by Steelfish
Fetus Yawns In Womb, 4D Scan Shows
A 4D ultrasound scan shows a foetus yawning in the womb at 24 weeks, during a study by Durham and Lancaster Universities and released in Durham, northern England November 21, 2012. By Kate Kelland
Growing into a fully formed human being is a long process, and scientists have found that unborn babies not only hiccup, swallow and stretch in the womb, they yawn too.
Researchers who studied 4D scans of 15 healthy fetuses also said they think yawning is a developmental process which could potentially give doctors a new way to check on a baby's health.
While some scientists have previously suggested that fetuses yawn, others disagree and say it is nothing more than a developing baby opening and stretching its mouth.
But writing in the journal PLOS ONE on Wednesday, British researchers said their study was able to clearly distinguish yawning from "non-yawn mouth opening" based on how long the mouth was open.
The researchers did this by using 4D video footage to examine all the times when fetuses opened their mouths.
Nadja Reissland of Durham University's department of Psychology, who led the study, said the function and importance of yawning in fetuses is still unknown, but the findings suggest it may be linked to fetal development and could provide a further indication of the health of the unborn baby.
"Unlike us, fetuses do not yawn contagiously, nor do they yawn because they are sleepy," she said. "Instead, the frequency of yawning in the womb may be linked to the maturing of the brain early in gestation."
(Excerpt) Read more at vitals.nbcnews.com ...
The commies are shocked!!! SHOCKED, I tell ya!!!
Must have been an Obama speech on.
“Fetus Yawns In Womb, 4D Scan Shows”
Fixed It!
Child Yawns In Womb, 4D Scan Shows
Wow bored all ready.
What are they tired from?
I think that’s when I started yawning.
Jumping up and down on Mommy’s bladder, or so my female friends tell me.
We saw our baby yawning at our 20 week U/S. Not 4D, but it was still pretty cute.
According to my wife our kids all did the Bunny Hop, the Monster Mash and the Cotton Eye Joe at 24 weeks.
lol
Hmmmm.... I thought the purpose of a yawn was to in infuse the body with oxygen. How is that accomplished with amniotic fluid?
Maybe the oxygen infusion is just a happy side effect we learn as infants? If kids are yawning in the womb there's got to be another reason for it.
What’s weird is that looking at that picture made me yawn.
“What’s weird is that looking at that picture made me yawn.”
Yea, it’s got to be pretty boring in there...can’t blame the kid for yawning.
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