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Brief Report
Alone in the dark? Modeling the conditions for visual experience in human fetuses
Article first published online: 26 OCT 2010
DOI: 10.1002/dev.20506
Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Additional Information
How to Cite
Del Giudice, M. (2011), Alone in the dark? Modeling the conditions for visual experience in human fetuses. Dev. Psychobiol., 53: 214–219. doi: 10.1002/dev.20506
Publication History
- Issue published online: 7 FEB 2011
- Article first published online: 26 OCT 2010
- Manuscript Accepted: 14 SEP 2010
- Manuscript Received: 2 MAR 2010
- Abstract
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Keywords:
- fetal;
- vision;
- early experience;
- learning
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that, whereas auditory and olfactory learning take place already during fetal development, visual experience and learning are not possible before birth. This paper explores the conditions for visual experience in the last two months of human gestation, when the fetal visual system is mature enough to permit directed vision if a sufficient amount of light is available. Light transmission from the external environment to the uterine cavity is modeled, based on the measured transmission coefficients of biological tissues. Results indicate that illumination in the uterine cavity is highly variable, depending on factors such as external illumination and the mother's abdominal thickness. At least some fetuses can be predicted to develop in conditions allowing for ample visual experience before birth. This finding could have intriguing implications for the ontogeny of early visuo-motor abilities in newborns and infants. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 53:214–219, 2011