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The Awakening of the Newborn Human Infant and the Emergence of Consciousness

Hugo Lagercrantz1

  • 1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|February 15, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Consciousness develops gradually, not all at once. Newborns are conscious at a low level due to sensory input, while fetuses show signs after 24 weeks gestation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Consciousness is traditionally viewed as an all-or-none phenomenon.
  • The developmental trajectory of consciousness from prenatal stages to infancy requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the gradual development of consciousness in human infants.
  • To explore the neurological and sensory underpinnings of consciousness in newborns and fetuses.

Main Methods:

  • Observational analysis of newborn physiological responses to birth stimuli.
  • Review of neurodevelopmental milestones related to sensory pathway maturation and brain network development.

Main Results:

  • Newborns exhibit signs of arousal and awareness at birth, including pupil dilation and recognition of maternal cues.
  • A default mode network matures postnatally, contributing to sustained conscious states.
  • Fetal consciousness indicators emerge around 24 weeks gestation, with limited environmental awareness due to sleep states.

Conclusions:

  • Consciousness is a gradually developing capacity, evident at low levels in newborns.
  • Prenatal neurological development, specifically the maturation of sensory pathways and cortical connections, is critical for the emergence of consciousness.

Keywords:
birthconsciousnessfoetal behaviourneurodevelopmentpreterm infants

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