A new study has found that babies cannot recall memories from infancy even though they do have them. Researchers used fMRI scans to examine the activity in the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with emotions and memory, in 26 infants aged 4.2 to 24.9 months.
The study showed that older infants had more active hippocampuses when encoding memories, while younger babies did not exhibit activity in this region. The researchers also found that only older infants showed activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, which is involved in memory-related decision-making and recognition.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Nick Turk-Browne, suggests that the brain processing in infants may be unable to retrieve these early memories due to inaccurate “search terms” being received by the hippocampus.
The findings have implications for parents, who can still see their babies learning and developing new skills despite not being able to recall individual memories from infancy. Dr. Simona Ghetti notes that this stage is crucial for language development, as infants begin to associate sounds with meanings. She recommends using repetition with babies to foster a connection between parent and child.
The study’s results provide valuable insights into the development of memory in children and highlight the importance of understanding the limitations of infant recall.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/don-t-remember-being-baby-180052552.html