3 Things a Child Learns While in the Womb

February 20, 2017

Scientists have found out that humans learn certain things even before they’re born, and we at LikeAble can’t wait to tell you which ones.

1. Experiencing tastes

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Professor Peter Hepper from Queen’s University in Belfast wondered whether you can like food even before birth. He conducted a study where soon-to-be-mothers either ate or cut out garlic. The results were quite interesting, as children born of mothers from the former group enjoyed meals with garlic even at the age of 8-9 years.

The same went for carrot juice: 5- and 6-month-old babies whose pregnant mothers drank it liked it very much. Hepper says it’s probably how children recognize their parents: they experience the same taste as in the womb.

2. Hearing sounds

© imagepointfr

A group of scientists from Finland did an experiment where two groups of pregnant women either listened to lullabies daily or not at all. The result was that babies from the first group reacted to the songs while the other group of babies was indifferent. The researchers came to the conclusion that the former must have learned the lullabies while inside the womb.

3. Recognizing speech

© Ipatov

Athena Vouloumanos, a psychologist from New York University, compared newborn babies’ reactions to human speech and sounds and found that babies react to speech. They’re even keener when they hear their mother tongue.

The research helped prove an important concept: good acoustic surroundings are a must for unborn babies and children born prematurely as they might have speech disorders if they don’t hear enough human speech.

Preview photo credit DEPOSITPHOTOS
Based on materials from bbc