Ultrasounds can be a daunting yet rewarding experience; waiting to hear that everything is OK with the baby, and then getting to enjoy watching them wiggle around for a while.
Well, apparently, we can get a lot more information from their movement in the womb than we thought.
A recent study focused on the hand movements of our babies in the womb, and it seems it can show whether or not they will be right- or left-handed.
The study, published in the eLife Journal, revealed that the hand preference may not come from the brain, as previously thought.
The scientists behind the study now believe it has more to do with the gene development when the baby’s spine is forming.
The research looked at the development of the spinal cord during the eighth to twelfth week of pregnancy, and found that it had a link with the control of movements of the arms and legs – specifically the tendency to use one side more often than the other.
Previous studies had already found signs of babies demonstrating a preference to suck either their right or left thumb.
