Scientists aimed to look at why babies cannot remember their birth. Childbirth is an interesting concept, and while it is something that is so common, there is still a lot that is not known about the process, and work is always being done to see how it can be understood and helped. Since childbirth is such a big event in both the woman’s and baby’s life, it is hard to believe that we really don’t remember anything from being born. It can be one of those things that we think about, and while we know that the brains of babies are not fully developed, many wonder if there is more to this than just brain development.
According to Medical Xpress, scientists are talking about what they refer to as “infantile amnesia,” and how this phenomenon occurs. The work was done by The Conversation, and their write-up can be read in full here.
If you asked someone what their very first memory is, you are likely going to get various answers. However, most of them will talk about things that happened when they were 4 to 6 years old, and this is quite common. So, why can’t the brain recall anything before that, especially something as “traumatic” as childbirth?
Some are quick to say that infants don’t have the ability to form memories, but we know this is not true. An infant can remember their mother’s face, and tell the difference between a stranger and a parent. In fact, they will remember all the faces of those who are close to them.
Through research, they found that infants can remember skills they learned from one day to the next, and the older the infant is, the longer the memory will be.
Childbirth would be considered an “autobiographical memory,” because it is a significant moment in a person’s life. Researchers have some theories on why infants cannot remember their birth. The first is that autobiographical memory requires you to have some sense of self, and who you are, and this is something that infants lack.
They also believe that the memories are there, but the infant does not know how to access them, so they are never reached at any age. The last theory is that infants obviously do not have any language skills in terms of communicating with words and ideas, and this means that they cannot form narratives surrounding their own lives which would help them recall the memories.
This is definitely fascinating, but we have to wonder if we would want to recall our childbirths if we had the chance?
Sources: Medical Xpress, The Conversation