Babies recognise their mum's touch before they're born

It is well known that a mum's touch is said to be crucial in helping her to bond with her baby, but a study has revealed that babies may even be able to recognise these touches while still in the womb.

Babies in the uterus have been recorded reaching out to touch the wall of the womb, responding to their mother rubbing her bump during pregnancy.

Using three-dimensional ultrasound videos, the scientists behind the study were able to watch how unborn babies reacted to people touching their mum's bump. 

The amazing study revealed that the unborn babies responded the strongest when a mum rubbed her own bump, in comparison to when a stranger or the baby's dad did.

These findings would suggest that the baby recognised who was involved in the bump rubbing, and it may also explain why women feel their babies moving when they touch their bump. 

Dr Viola Marx, a psychologist at the University of Dundee, was the lead author of the study, which has been published in the Journal Infant Behaviour And Development.

"Mothers spontaneously and also intentionally touch their abdomen during pregnancy, often to communicate with the foetus. Any stimulation can be beneficial to the development of the foetus and bonding of the mother, father and the foetus," she explained. 

In a strange turn of events, the study also found that unborn babies respond more to strangers than their own father. 

Dr Marx also highlighted the fact that previous research has been done on this interesting topic, and has shown that unborn babies also respond when their mother talks to them, helping them recognise her voice after birth.