A new type of ultrasound scan has produced the vivid pictures of a 12
week-old fetus "walking" in the womb.
The new images also show fetuses apparently yawning and rubbing its eyes.
The scans, pioneered by Professor Stuart Campbell at London's Create
Health Clinic, are much more detailed than conventional ultrasound.
Professor Campbell has previously released images of unborn babies
appearing to smile.
He has compiled a book of the images called Watch Me Grow.
Conventional ultrasound, usually offered to mothers at 12 and 20 weeks,
produces 2D images of the developing fetus.
These are very useful for helping doctors to measure and assess the
growth of the fetus, but convey very little information about behavior.
Complex behavior
Professor Campbell has perfected a technique which not only produces
detailed 3D images, but records fetal movement in real time.
He says his work has been able to show for the first time that the unborn
baby engages in complex behavior from an early stage of its development.
Professor Campbell told the BBC: "This is a new science for understanding
and mapping out the behavior of the baby.
"Maybe in the future it will help us understand and diagnose genetic
disease, maybe even conditions like cerebral palsy which puzzles the medical
profession as to why it occurs."
The images have shown:
