skip to Main Content

Today Show Reveals New Research on Humanity of Unborn Child

  • Blog

A of 30+ years forwarded me another story from what is turning out to be a font of information about unborn babies: The Today Show, specifically its segments on parenting.

The title of the segment, hosted by Savannah Guthrie (who is pregnant), is “The Secret Life of Babies: New Research about what’s learned inside the womb.” And it’s plenty!

For us the major conclusion drawn is not new but important because it will reach a wider audience: “Life in the womb is much busier than you might expect.”

Here’s what Dr. Bill Fifer, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and described as a leading expert on fetal and newborn learning, told The Today Show:

“Everything that a newborn baby does, a fetus has pretty much done already.”

Dr. Fifer, Guthrie says, is gathering some of the “latest and most cutting edge information about life in the womb.” We wrote about another Today Show episode last week: “Moms can teach their unborn babies nursery rhymes, study shows.” It received, by far, the most “likes” of any post ever on NRL News Today.

The broadcast (which can be seen at today.com) alludes to that research from the University of Florida as part of a larger examination of just some of the developmental milestones a baby experiences while she or he is “hanging out in Hotel Uterus,” to quote Guthrie.

The first major milestone, we’re told, is touching. Unborn babies are “exquisitely able to sense information over all parts of their body, although some are more sensitive than others, like around the mouth, around the feet, around the hands,” Dr. Fifer says.

Around the 20th week, sensory systems for taste and smell develop. In addition, there is strong evidence that babies may be able to recognize Mom’s voice by birth.

A good chunk of the piece is to explain how the baby can and does respond to Mom’s behavior, whether it be what she is eating or her moods.

It’s a wonderful 4 minute, 5 second long infomercial for the full humanity of the unborn child. Please watch it at today.com and share it with friends.

Back To Top