A recent scientific study suggests that fetuses who frequently yawn in the womb may be more likely to be born with a relatively lower weight, potentially indicating mild fetal stress or pressure.
The research, published in PLOS One and conducted by scientists at University of Ferrara, Italy, monitored 32 healthy fetuses between 23 and 31 weeks of gestation using ultrasound imaging.
Yawning is common across vertebrates, yet its exact function remains unclear. In humans, fetal yawning starts around the 11th week of pregnancy, even without air to breathe. During a yawn, the fetus slowly opens its mouth in movements resembling inhalation and exhalation, then closes it again.
Each fetus was observed for 22.5 minutes, with yawning frequencies ranging from 0 to 6 times per session, averaging 3.6 yawns per hour.
Results revealed an inverse relationship between the number of yawns and birth weight, indicating that fetuses who yawned more were more likely to have a lower weight at birth. However, researchers emphasized that all newborns were healthy, and the recorded lower weights were within normal ranges.
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