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LiveScience
LiveScience
Emily Cooke

Babies' brain activity changes dramatically before and after birth, groundbreaking study finds

A mom is shown smiling at her newborn baby who she is holding against her chest. The baby is looking up at her face. The background is blurred.

Scientists have provided unprecedented insight into how the activity of neurons in the brain changes across birth.

In a new study, researchers analyzed 184 brain scans collected from 140 fetuses and infants of gestational ages between 25 and 55 weeks post-conception. A typical pregnancy lasts approximately 40 weeks, so these datasets gave the researchers a good snapshot of what the brain looks like before and after birth.

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