We talk to our tiny tots from the moment they are born. We gush about how much we love them and shower them with sweet comments regardless of whether they understand us or not.
However, it turns out our newborns may actually understand a lot more than we once believed.
A new study has found that babies can recognise words in the first three days of their lives. Researchers analysed the brain activity of babies when listening to a three-minute audio clip during the first few days of life.
Four words, that had no significant meaning, were featured in the clip.
To analyse the brain, the team used a technique where they shine a light into the brain. It then highlights the brain’s activity.
“We then had the infants listen to individual words and found that their brains responded differently to the words that they heard than to slightly different words,” explained Dr Perrine Brusini of the University of Liverpool.
The team explained how important it is for a parent to talk to their baby. Dr Alissa Ferry of The University of Manchester shared that it can help strengthen your bond.
"We think this study highlights how sentient newborn babies really are and how much information they are absorbing. That's quite important for new parents and gives them some insight into how their baby is listening to them,” the researcher explained.
So, keep chatting to your little bundle of joy!
