Fetal movements: the origin of human behaviour

The study of the onset and ontogeny of human behaviour has made it clear that a multitude of fetal movement patterns are spontaneously generated, and that there is a close association between activity and the development of peripheral and central structures. The embryo starts moving by 7.5 week's gestation; 2 to 3 weeks later, a number of movement patterns including general movements, isolated limb and head movements, hiccup, and breathing movements, appear. Some movements (e.g. yawning, smiling, 'pointing'; we show these in eight videos in this review) precede life-long patterns; others have intrauterine functions, such as sucking/swallowing for amniotic fluid regulation, breathing movements for lung development, or eye movements for retinal cell diversity. In cases of developmental brain dysfunction, fetal general movements alter their sequence and gestalt, which suggests a dysfunction of the developing nervous system. The scarcity of longitudinal studies calls for further comprehensive research on the predictive value of prenatal functional deviations.

Automated summary

Research on the onset and ontogeny of human behavior shows that fetal movement patterns are spontaneously generated, with the embryo starting to move by 7.5 weeks of gestation. Different movement patterns such as general movements, isolated limb movements, and breathing movements appear later, indicating a close association between activity and the development of peripheral and central structures. In cases of developmental brain dysfunction, fetal general movements may change in sequence and form, suggesting a dysfunction in the developing nervous system.