Accepted author manuscript, 643 KB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Final published version, 713 KB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The human fetus preferentially engages with face-like visual stimuli
AU - Reid, Vincent Michael
AU - Dunn, Kirsty Jayne
AU - Young, Robert James
AU - Amu, Johnson
AU - Donovan, Tim
AU - Reissland, Nadja
PY - 2017/6/19
Y1 - 2017/6/19
N2 - In the third trimester of pregnancy the human fetus has the capacity to process perceptual information [1,2,3]. With advances in 4D ultrasound technology, detailed assessment of fetal behavior [4] is now possible. Furthermore, modelling of intrauterine conditions has indicated a substantially greater luminance within the uterus than previously thought [5]. Consequently, light conveying perceptual content could be projected through the uterine wall and perceived by the fetus, dependent on how light interfaces with maternal tissue. We do know that human infants at birth show a preference to engage with a top-heavy, face-like stimulus when contrasted with all other forms of stimuli [6,7]. However, the viability of performing such an experiment based on visual stimuli projected through the uterine wall with fetal participants is not currently known. We examined fetal head turns to visually presented upright and inverted face-like stimuli. Here we show that the fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy is more likely to engage with top-heavy configural stimuli when contrasted to bottom heavy visual stimuli, in a manner similar to results with newborn participants. The current study suggests that postnatal experience is not required for this preference. In addition, we describe a new method whereby it is possible to deliver specific visual stimuli to the fetus. This new technique provides an important new pathway for the assessment of prenatal visual perceptual capacities.
AB - In the third trimester of pregnancy the human fetus has the capacity to process perceptual information [1,2,3]. With advances in 4D ultrasound technology, detailed assessment of fetal behavior [4] is now possible. Furthermore, modelling of intrauterine conditions has indicated a substantially greater luminance within the uterus than previously thought [5]. Consequently, light conveying perceptual content could be projected through the uterine wall and perceived by the fetus, dependent on how light interfaces with maternal tissue. We do know that human infants at birth show a preference to engage with a top-heavy, face-like stimulus when contrasted with all other forms of stimuli [6,7]. However, the viability of performing such an experiment based on visual stimuli projected through the uterine wall with fetal participants is not currently known. We examined fetal head turns to visually presented upright and inverted face-like stimuli. Here we show that the fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy is more likely to engage with top-heavy configural stimuli when contrasted to bottom heavy visual stimuli, in a manner similar to results with newborn participants. The current study suggests that postnatal experience is not required for this preference. In addition, we describe a new method whereby it is possible to deliver specific visual stimuli to the fetus. This new technique provides an important new pathway for the assessment of prenatal visual perceptual capacities.
KW - Fetus
KW - Face preference
KW - Visual perception
U2 - 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.044
DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.044
M3 - Journal article
VL - 27
SP - 1825
EP - 1828
JO - Current Biology
JF - Current Biology
SN - 0960-9822
IS - 12
ER -