The moment when the fetus sends its first nerve signals

Chinese researchers say nerve impulses begin around the 24th week in utero as some genes are switched on

Study could point a way to treat some brain diseases and fills in details about fetal development, scientists say

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Nerve impulses start to appear in fetal brain cells around the 24-week mark, according to a new Chinese study. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:00pm, 26 Aug 2020Updated: 11:20pm, 26 Aug 2020

Nerve impulses start to appear in fetal brain cells about 24 weeks into pregnancy – before that neurons might be too immature to respond to an external stimulus, according to a new study by Chinese scientists.

The researchers said the study presented unprecedented details about fetal brain development but cautioned that the neural signals should not be defined as “consciousness”.

Some parents believe that “fetal education” can make their children smarter by reading classical literature, playing music or simply speaking to the unborn child. A few studies suggested that the fetus could even tell the difference between Queen and Adele.

But when the fetus had the ability to respond to these attempts remained unclear, and some scientists questioned if these reactions meant anything. “The fetus is almost continuously asleep and unconscious,” said Swedish paediatrician Hugo Lagercrantz in a paper published in the journal paediatric Research in 2009.

Studying the brain development of a living fetus could help answer this question but this has been a challenge because it is impossible to access their brain directly.