A new UCL-directed study has discovered something interesting related to the hiccups of a newborn baby. A huge brain signals’ wave is generated every time the newborn baby hiccups, and this, in turn, can aid the baby to understand how to control their breathing. Newborn infants’ brain scans were the foundation of the study. Specifically pre-term babies are likely to experience singultus, as probable 1% their time is spent by them hiccupping—approximately 15 min/day. Hiccups are among the earliest recognized activity patterns as they start with the womb at the gestational age of merely 9 Weeks.
Thirteen newborn babies within a neonatal ward having a bout of hiccups were enrolled in the study. The infants were full-term and pre-term, having gestational age spanning from 30 to 42 Weeks, thus their development could mirror what is generally in the pregnancy’s last trimester. EEG electrodes were used for logging brain activity situated on the scalp as movement sensors on the torso of the babies presented an associated log of when they were hiccupping.
A pronounced response was induced in the cortex of the brain—2 large brainwaves trailed by a 3rd one—when the diaphragm muscle’s contracted owing to a hiccup, as found by the team. As the 3rd brainwave is analogous to that induced by a sound, the brain of a newborn baby might be capable of associating the hiccup’s “hic” with the sense of the diaphragm muscle contraction. The scientists state that to develop brain connections, postnatal processing of the multi-sensory inputs is significant.
Likewise, in another recent study, issued in JAMA Pediatrics, brains of children aged 3–5 were scanned and discovered that those who happened to use screens over 1 hour/day with no participation from parent had lower development levels in the white matter of the brain, the region accountable for literacy, cognitive skills, and language.
Inez Benfield has studied biomedical engineering and is a senior writer. She is associated with us from the last 5 years and directs healthcare domain for our portal. Inez works closely with writers and clients to make sure customer success, and also presents customized reports as per client requirements. This role facilitates Inez to use her editorial and leadership skills collaboratively. She enjoys writing about FDA drug approvals, federal guidelines on disease management, food and nutrition, mental health, and research and development in the healthcare industry. After work hours, she works with a non-profit organization and raises awareness about personal hygiene in children.
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