Can healthy fetuses show facial expressions of "pain" or "distress"?

With advances of research on fetal behavioural development, the question of whether we can identify fetal facial expressions and determine their developmental progression, takes on greater importance. In this study we investigate longitudinally the increasing complexity of combinations of facial mov...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2013-06, Vol.8 (6), p.e65530-e65530
Main Authors: Reissland, Nadja, Francis, Brian, Mason, James
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age
Babies
Biology
Coalescing
Complexity
Face - diagnostic imaging
Face - embryology
Face recognition
Facial Expression
Female
Fetal Movement
Fetus - physiopathology
Fetuses
Gestalt Theory
Gestation
Gestational Age
Girls
Health
Humans
Male
Medicine
Newborn babies
Pain
Pain - diagnostic imaging
Pain - physiopathology
Pain - psychology
Pregnancy
R&D
Research & development
Statistical analysis
Studies
Ultrasonography, Prenatal
Ultrasound
Young Adult
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Summary:With advances of research on fetal behavioural development, the question of whether we can identify fetal facial expressions and determine their developmental progression, takes on greater importance. In this study we investigate longitudinally the increasing complexity of combinations of facial movements from 24 to 36 weeks gestation in a sample of healthy fetuses using frame-by-frame coding of 4-D ultrasound scans. The primary aim was to examine whether these complex facial movements coalesce into a recognisable facial expression of pain/distress. Fifteen fetuses (8 girls, 7 boys) were observed four times in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Fetuses showed significant progress towards more complex facial expressions as gestational age increased. Statistical analysis of the facial movements making up a specific facial configuration namely "pain/distress" also demonstrates that this facial expression becomes significantly more complete as the fetus matures. The study shows that one can determine the normal progression of fetal facial movements. Furthermore, our results suggest that healthy fetuses progress towards an increasingly complete pain/distress expression as they mature. We argue that this is an adaptive process which is beneficial to the fetus postnatally and has the potential to identify normal versus abnormal developmental pathways.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0065530