I'm going to sound absolutely ridiculous, but is this true ? :O

[Violet3]

Hiii !

Please forgive me for sounding absolutely crazy but I'm actually genuinely wondering whether what I'm watching on TV has any truth in it xD

So here goes.. I'm watching Family Guy on TV right now (I know, I'm crazy xD) and the episode is about a couple who ask Lois (the main characters' wife) to be a surrogate mother for their baby. (Warning- the next part may offend and is very far fetched. But that's Family Guy for you !) Anyway, the couple fertilize an egg and it's implanted in Lois' womb. She gets pregnant but then the couple are killed in a car accident (I told you, it's crazy ), so Lois and her husband Peter and the rest of their family are debating what to do with the baby now their parents have died. They decide on an abortion but Peter freaks out at the last minute and won't let Lois do it, then their talking dog Brian says that Peter's being ridiculous because babies don't have any brain activity til at least the 27th week of pregnancy.

Is this true ? :S Surely once babies can move and are reacting to their parents' voices and noises outside the womb, that means that their brain is working, right ? I'm sorry if this thread sounds like it's being asked by someone who's insane but I just really wanted to know if the 27 week thing is true xD

Thanks ladies, I really hope no one is offended. Remember that Family Guy is just a cartoon show !! Xxx

 

[MrsKnapp]

I have no idea but I LOVE FAMILY GUY!!!!!!!!!! lol

 

[Violet3]

I love it too xD I was scared to ask the question on here in case any of the ladies got offended. I know that surrogacy and abortion etc are touchy subject, but everyone just needs to remember that it's just a cartoon. Although, saying that, I'm still curious about the 27 week thing !! XD x

 

[tikaani]

ha ha i love that those who have not watched family guy are going to be thnking "what has this girl been smoking" talking dogs etc ... I TOO LOVE FAMILY GUY.
Don't know much about the question asked but made me chuckle!!

 

[tikaani]

i have however just come across this :-
https://www.buzzle.com/articles/brain-development-in-fetus.html

Hope it helps a little, it says
Week 19: The brain becomes capable of forming millions of motor neurons, enabling the baby to develop and make muscle movements voluntarily. The fore brains further develop into left and right cerebral hemispheres of the brain. The nerve cells required for the processing of all the senses are also developing rapidly

 

[Violet3]

You're so right ! I bet loads of people have viewed this thread and just assumed that I'm mental or I'm taking the piddle !! Also, thanks for that info I assumed that as soon as baby can move, they can use their brain, because I'd just think that you need your brain to allow you to move, y'know ? XD x

 

[sequeena]

I very much doubt it hun x my baby can kick so therefore my baby has brain activity

 

[MrsH86]

I was watching too and seemed a bit shocked by it saying that, I'm sure it's much earlier, I mean on one site I read at 16 weeks if you could brush your hand against your baby's face it would instinctively go to it thinking it was a nipple...so that takes some brain activity!

I love family guy tho!

 

[Violet3]

I read at 16 weeks if you could brush your hand against your baby's face it would instinctively go to it thinking it was a nipple...so that takes some brain activity

Awhhhhh !! That honestly made me say 'awh' out loud ! I can just imagine this TINY little baby opening their little mouth thinking that I'm going to feed them xD Oh gosh that's so cute !! I'm going to try it when my baby's born hahaha !!

 

[kaths101]

I love family guy too, i would guess its a lot earlier too - as babies can survive from 23/24 weeks and they certainly arent brain dead! ive seen a baby at 24 weeks and he was very aware!

 

[tikaani]

i would think it too because your baby moves on you 12 week scan and as you said earlier you need brain development to send signals to ligaments etc???

 

[Violet3]

Hmm ! I'm like 99% sure that once baby starts moving they must have brains ! XD and like one lady has just said, babies can be born at 23/24 weeks and they're not brain dead !

I reckon we should write to Family Guy and demand to know where they're getting their information from haha !! I love how if I wasn't pregnant, that episode would have meant nothing to me, but because I'm pregnant I've got all defensive about my baby having brains already !! XD x

 

[CamoQueen]

I think it's a difference between brain activity and complex brain activity, thoughts, etc? I know later in pregnancy that a baby will dream in utero...

 

[Violet3]

CamoQueen, good point ! Again, I'm going to sound crazy, but Brian (yes, the talking dog xD) made it sound as if the baby couldn't use its brain at all til 27 weeks. I don't know, maybe I'm just getting worked up about it because I'd like to think that my baby can already use their little noggin haha ! X

 

[laughingduck]

Interesting! Brian is a very smart dog, so I'd take anything he says as gospel for sure

Seriously though, I just found this online:

"Functional maturity of the cerebral cortex is suggested by fetal and neonatal electroencephalographic patterns...First, intermittent electroencephalograpic bursts in both cerebral hemispheres are first seen at 20 weeks gestation; they become sustained at 22 weeks and bilaterally synchronous at 26 to 27 weeks."

Not that I really know what that means! But sounds like complex brain activity doesn't happen until 27 weeks. I remember reading that dreaming begins at around 27/28 weeks too. So maybe 27 weeks is around when the baby's brain begins to actually "think" and not just be responsible for reflexes etc? Who knows!

 

[Violet3]

Ahahaha !! XD I started reading the quote, got to the first big word and thought 'no thank you.' I'm too tired to process anything with more than 2 syllabels right now, it's like 2 am. In fact I have no idea why I'm still awake. Damn BnB for being so interesting !! haha. But yes, from skim-reading that quote I assumed the same as you, that complex stuff doesn't happen til 27 weeks. So maybe the talking dog speaks the truth !!

 

[ashley2pink]

I would think much, much earlier than 27 weeks!! Like maybe by 10 weeks. I only think that because yes they are moving. And I could start feeling baby by 15 weeks,but the only way is to push or tap on my belly then baby will awaken and start kicking, pushing back. I doubt that something without a working brain would know that something was disrupting its house and push back!
Oh, another thing. This is very upsetting, but there is an anti-abortion(I dont know if I can even write this but Im not actually going pro choice or pro life so I think its ok) video and the Dr doing the abortion had a nurse do an ultrasound at the same time to see what would happen(this was performed at 12 wks).When the instrument went in the tiny little 12wk fetus went crazy trying to kick the instrument away and trying to move away,as far away as it could, because it felt threatened. Also the baby's heart rate suddenly went up to 200 bpm. Anyway to put long story short duh, that baby did have brain activity. It was terrified, it felt threatened, it tried to get away. I know that is super sad,and sick, but I think that proves the whole brain activity happens at least as early as 12 weeks.

 

[missjaime]

AUGH LOVE FAMILY GUY i have got every episode haha
i think they do start having brain activity at like 6 to 8 weeks surely since they move and react to sounds and light and sending signals etc

 

[Blah11]

I seen amelie at 9+2 on a scan and she was wiggling about so obviously her brain was sending signals to her limbs to get them to move