Re: Do babies cry in the womb?

If by, "a baby crying in the womb" you mean making baby crying sounds then the answer is no. But if you mean do their vocal cords have the capability of making crying sounds, the answer is yes. The following are my reasons for giving such a yes/no answer.

A baby in the womb is totally immersed in fluid called amniotic fluid. During development of the fetus it swallows and "breathes" this fluid. Remember, while the baby is in the womb there is no air with which to make crying sounds. Only after a baby is born can its lungs become fully expanded to take in air. Which gets us to the next point.

To create sounds with our vocal cords needs air to move from the lungs through the windpipe past the vocal cords and to the outside air. Even when you make vocal sounds underwater, the sound is made by pushing out air in your lungs through your vocal cords. However, since an unborn baby does not have air in its lungs it cannot make such sounds. Therefore, in the sense of making the usual crying sounds we associate with a bay, while it is in the womb an unborn baby cannot make them.

No doubt, just before it is born a baby tries to make crying sounds. But recall that it is surrounded by amniotic fluid and there is no air in the womb. So until a baby is born and breathes its first lung full of air, it is not likely to make vocal sounds.

SUMMARY OF FETAL DEVELOPMENT

Fetal development during the third trimester (29-40 weeks):

During the third trimester, the fetus continues to grow in size and weight. The lungs are still maturing and the fetus begins to position itself head-down. By the end of the third trimester, the fetus is about 19 to 21 inches long and weighs, on average, six to nine pounds. Fetal development during the third trimester includes:

• The fetus can see and hear.

• The brain continues to develop.

• The kidneys and lungs continue to mature.

• By the 36th week, the head may "engage" (drop into the pelvic area) -- a process called "lightening".

• The bones of the skull remain soft to make it easier to pass through the birth canal.

• For many babies, the irises of the eyes are slate blue. The permanent eye color will not appear until several days or weeks after birth.

• The fetus can suck its thumb and try to cry.

• By 38 to 40 weeks, the fetus' lanugo has disappeared almost completely.

• By 38 to 40 weeks, the lungs have matured completely. The baby is covered in vernix caseosa (or simply called vernix), a creamy, protective coating on the skin.

• The head will usually turn downward during the last couple of weeks of pregnancy.

For a QuickTime movie of fetal development • • • from fertilized egg to newborn baby • • •
CLICK ON - http://www.med.upenn.edu/meded/public/berp/overview.mov

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