engleski

New advances in understanding neurophysiology of fetal behavior

The prenatal period of life has considerable influence in shaping future development and behavior. Functional development of the fetal brain begins as early as the late embryonic period. During the nine months of gestation, a repertoire of fetal activities constantly expands, correlating precisely with the structural development of the CNS. Major developmental events, such as the establishment of neural connections in different regions of the brain, are accompanied by the occurrence of new patterns of fetal activities or by the transformation of existing patterns. Extensive studies into the movement patterns have been conducted, tracing all newborn movement patterns back to the prenatal period. The integration of random and abundant fetal activity into the organized behavioral states indicates the maturation of the control centers in the CNS. Moreover, many investigations have confirmed the role of fetal motility in the maturation of motor functions as well as revealed its involvement in the development of other organs, such as the CNS, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, retina. Another sign of the advancing maturation is fetal ability to respond to a variety of vibratory, acoustic or metabolic external stimuli, acquired during the third trimester. Progression in behavioral complexity begins with spontaneous fetal movements and culminates with presumed preferences for the sound of mother’s voice, reflecting maturational events that take place in the brainstem, followed by forebrain structures. Investigations carried out using four-dimensional (4D) sonography have produced invaluable details of fetal behavior and its development, opening the door to a better understanding of the prenatal functional development of the CNS. Finally, recent investigations have shown that fetal exposure to stress or even severe maternal stress can interfere with the fetal neurodevelopment and leave the long-term and profound consequences on brain structure and function. These findings underline the importance of a stress-free environment for the normal prenatal development of the CNS. Normal physiologic development of the fetus enables the necessary initial preconditions for an untroubled and happy childhood.

fetal behavior; fetal neurophy

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