Is it true that the brain of a newborn baby produces a substance that works as an anaesthesic during birth?
116807
There are no diffinitive studies.
1023196
No it would not, but the first trimester is the most importand time for growth and brain developement.  Make sure you mention it to your doctor on your first prenatal exam and do not do it again.
261141
Its all in the mind,human brain is the most powerful thing in the world.There is one instance when a car rolled over a kid,dunno how,the mother was there and she we terrified and lifted the car on her own.she had a silp disc.Isn't that amazing?
886051
Easily the spinal cord-the brain of a newborn, which includes all other choices (cerebellum, brainstem, thalamus, and cerebral corteces) is much more developed than the spinal cord, relative to the adult-this would be clear is you compared the size of the head of a newborn and adult-and then compared the size of the spinal column of a newborn and adult..its clear the head is much more developed than the spinal column
1167864
not everything about your life is decided at birth. human brain is made up of milllions of neurons connected through axons and dendrons at locations called synapse. At the time of birth, each individual cell is connected to almost every other cell in the vicinity. but as we grow up the redundant connections are done away with while the rewuire connections are strengthened . this process is determined to a large extent by how much that particular part of brain is used. so even if both the childs neurons may be likewise prorammed by genecode to do away with redundant connections the environment decides whose required connections are more effective.
75901
A chemical reaction in your brain.
406600
Neurogenesis (birth of neurons) is the process by which neurons are created. Most active during pre-natal development, neurogenesis is responsible for populating the growing brain.\n\nNew neurons are continually born throughout adulthood in predominantly two regions of the brain:\n\nThe sub-ventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles, where the new cells migrate to the olfactory bulb via the Rostral Migratory Stream \nThe dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. \nMany of these newborn cells die shortly after their birth, but a number of them become functionally integrated into the surrounding brain tissue.\n\nAdult neurogenesis has been the subject of an historical dogma, and only recently has its existence been largely accepted by the scientific community. While it is reasonably well-accepted that hippocampal neurogenesis does occur (see for example Eriksson et al., 1998; Gould et al., 1999a), some authors (particularly Elizabeth Gould) have suggested that adult neurogenesis may also occur in other areas including human neocortex (e.g., Gould et al., 1999b; Zhao et al., 2003). Others, including Rakic (2002), have questioned the scientific evidence of these findings; in the broad sense, they suggest that the new cells may be glia.\n\nThe function of adult neurogenesis is not certain [1] - although there is good evidence that hippocampal adult neurogenesis is important for learning and memory. This is perhaps unsurprising given what we know of the hippocampus and its role in learning and memory (several authors, including, for example, Rolls & Treves (1998) have postulated integrated theories for the role of hippocampus in learning and memory). Gould et al. (1999c) have demonstrated that the act of learning itself is associated with increased neuronal survival.\n\nMalberg et al. (2000) [2] and Manev et al. (2001) [3] have linked neurogenesis to the beneficial actions of certain antidepressants, suggesting a connection between decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and depression. In a subsequent paper, Santarelli et al. (2003) demonstrated that the behavioural effects of antidepressants in rats did not occur when neurogenesis was prevented with x-irradiation techniques. Very recent papers have linked together learning and memory with depression, and have suggested that neurogenesis may promote neuroplasticity. For instance, Castren (2005) has proposed that our mood may be regulated, at a base level, by plasticity, and so chemistry; for instance, the effects of antidepressant treatment is only secondary to this.\n\nVarious other factors may increase or decrease rates of hippocampal neurogenesis. Even voluntary exercise (e.g., Bjornebekk, Mathe & Brene, 2005) seems to promote their survival and successful integration into the existing hippocampus. On the other hand, stimuli such as chronic stress can decrease their proliferation. The link between stress, depression, and the hippocampus is well-documented (e.g., Lee et al., 2002; Sheline et al., 1999).\n\n J Neurosci. 2000 Dec 15;20(24):9104-10. Related Articles, Links  \n\n \nChronic antidepressant treatment increases neurogenesis in adult rat hippocampus.\n\nMalberg JE, Eisch AJ, Nestler EJ, Duman RS.\n\nLaboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut 06508, USA.\n\nRecent studies suggest that stress-induced atrophy and loss of hippocampal neurons may contribute to the pathophysiology of depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of antidepressants on hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult rat, using the thymidine analog bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) as a marker for dividing cells. Our studies demonstrate that chronic antidepressant treatment significantly increases the number of BrdU-labeled cells in the dentate gyrus and hilus of the hippocampus. Administration of several different classes of antidepressant, but not non-antidepressant, agents was
382129
NO, it's not the placenta.  It's the amnionic sac that surrounds newborn mammals.  Kittens and puppies have them as well, and so do humans, but human infants loose them before they are born.  \n\nIf you watch kittens or puppies being born the mother will lick the sac away and the licking stimulates breathing in the pup or kitten.
61984
I believe this is natures way to get fresh air into the baby's lungs.  Also why doctors have been known to "spank the baby" to get it to cry.  Obviously, the baby has been drinking, eating, and "breathing" through the umbilical cord for the past 9 months and a breath of fresh air is just about the best thing for him/her.
777281
Yes and no. When we are first born, the human brain is the biggest part of the body. We literally have personalities the second we get out of the womb. Technically, we only use about 5 percent of our total brain capacity, so we know where we are, but what is keeping us here is what is known as stimulus overload, where we have soaked so much up that we cant get any more. (That is why cramming for a test/ exam is bad for you) The other thing is that the blood cells can only transport so much O2 (oxygen), so if we could increase O2 absorption efficency, then we could open up more possibilities. Assuming of course we can overcome stimulus overload. And yes, for the first few years we are growing connections to neurons exponentially. But when we get to about 20, they stop growing and start going the other way. So if we can increase O2 absorption, maintain connections, and overcome stimulus overload, then we can start unlocking our mind. Further more, it has been postulated that the human mind can store about 200 terabytes of info! (1 terabyte equals one thousand gigabytes)
613678
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear bodily fluid that occupies the subarachnoid space in the brain (the space between the skull and the cerebral cortex—more specifically, between the arachnoid and pia layers of the meninges). It is basically a saline solution and acts as a "cushion" or buffer for the cortex. Cerebrospinal fluid also occupies the ventricular system of the brain and the spinal cord. It is mainly produced by the choroid plexus, but also by the ependymal lining of the brain's ventricles. The CSF is formed by the choroid plexus or the ventricles, circulates through the interventricular foramina into the third ventricle and then via the mesencephalic duct (cerebral aqueduct) into the fourth ventricle space through two lateral apertures and one median aperture, and is then absorbed by the venous system to the blood circulation.
394660
no, probably not. "intelligence" is not a trait that can be pin-pointed to the action of any gene or set of genes. \n\nthere is a set of genes (i can't remember precisely which at the moment...) that controls the size of the brain. it does this by signalling neuron progenitor cells to switch their mode of cell division at a certain time, thus controlling the amount of neurons produced. turning this switch just one cycle later would double the number of neurons produced! studies were conducted with rats, messing with this gene. they produced rats with significantly larger brains (more gyrification, actually), however they were severely mentally retarded! \n\nSo to answer your question, yes you can alter brain-structure by altering genes (i took a class about brain development last quarter and there are A LOT of different genes that control different aspects of how the brain is developed, but we don't understand all of the processes completely!), but it won't make the baby smarter, usually any changes have severely detrimental (if not lethal) consequences.
792266
The unborn fetus is completely dependent on the mother for all vital functions. The oxygen and nutrients ALL come from the umbilical cord by way of the placenta. Their is no oxygen in amniotic fluid for the baby.. The lungs are not inflated in the unborn fetus and although it may swallow amniotic fluid while in utero, it does not enter the lungs. The circulatory system is adapted to life within the uterus. Little blood flows through the pulmonary artery because of natural openings in the heart that close at birth or shortly after. When the umbilical cord is clamped, the lungs take on the function of breathing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. The first breath helps to expand the collapsed lung but full expansion may take several days. Sometimes during birth a baby may aspirate some amniotic fluid it has swallowed into its lungs, usually not a problem unless the baby has passed meconium during labor .
370346
Child delivery\n\n\nDelivery, the process by which the baby is expelled from the uterus through the birth canal and into the world, begins with irregular contractions of the uterus that occur every 20 to 30 minutes. As labor progresses, the contractions increase in frequency and severity. The usual length of labor for a first-time mother is about 13 to 14 hours, and about 8 or 9 hours in a woman who has given birth previously. Wide variations exist, however, in the duration of labor.\n\nMost women prefer some kind of anesthesia to alleviate the pain associated with childbirth. Natural (unmedicated) childbirth, however, is becoming more popular, in part because many women are aware and concerned that the anesthesia and medication given to them is rapidly transported across the placenta to the unborn baby. Heavy doses of anesthesia can make the newborn baby less alert after birth.\n\nOther options available regarding childbirth include regional (local) anesthesia, in which only those areas of the mother that are affected by the pain of childbirth are numbed. Such anesthesias include a lower spinal block and epidural anesthesia, in which the pelvic region is anesthetized. Another option is cesarean section, in which the baby is surgically removed from the uterus. Cesarean section is usually performed only for a specific medical reason.
1136608
The hormone oxytocin stimulates and enhances labor contractions. As the baby moves toward the vagina (birth canal), pressure receptors within the cervix (muscular outlet of uterus) send messages to the brain to produce oxytocin. Oxytocin travels to the uterus through the bloodstream, stimulating the muscles in the uterine wall to contract stronger (increase of ideal normal value). The contractions intensify and increase until the baby is outside the birth canal. When the stimulus to the pressure receptors ends, oxytocin production stops and labor contractions cease.
1088009
yes.\n\nEverything you injest goes to your fetus.  For that matter, things you absorb through your skin can pass to your fetus, as well as what you breath.
306881
All that is really known for sure is that there appears to be more electical and chemical activity in each side of the brain when performing certain tasks, but where there is a misconseption is that one side and one side only is responsible for the activity in a given subject area. Most things require many parts of your brain, some more than others.