title: Fetal memory: does it exist? What does it do?
abstract: Whether fetal memory exists has attracted interest for many thousands of years. The following review draws on recent experimental evidence to consider two questions: does the fetus have a memory? And, if so, what function(s) does it serve? Evidence from fetal learning paradigms of classical conditioning, habituation and exposure learning reveal that the fetus does have a memory. By comparison little attention has been paid to the possible function of memory. Possible functions discussed are: practice, recognition of and attachment to the mother, promotion of breastfeeding, and language acquisition. It is concluded that the fetus does possess a memory but that more attention to the functions of fetal memory will guide future studies of fetal memory abilities.
authors.affiliation: Foetal Behaviour Research Centre, School of Psychology, Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Hepper
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D005333:Fetus; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008568:Memory; D009769:Object Attachment