FETAL MEMORY - DOES IT EXIST - WHAT DOES IT DO

Whether fetal memory exists has attracted interest for many thousands of years. The following review draws on recent experimental evidence t o consider two questions: does the fetus have a memory? And, if so, wh at function(s) does it serve? Evidence from fetal learning paradigms o f classical conditioning, habituation and exposure learning reveal tha t the fetus does have a memory. By comparison little attention has bee n paid to the possible function of memory. Possible functions discusse d are: practice, recognition of and attachment toe the mother, promoti on of breastfeeding, and language acquisition. It is concluded that th e fetus does possess a memory but that more attention to the functions of fetal memory will guide future studies of fetal memory abilities.