HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS: When really does it arise?
This was the question addressed at a recent gathering of scientists during the Infant Consciousness Conference at New York University (NYU). As Kelly Servick reported in a brief article in Science magazine (1), this is, unsurprisingly, a complex—and especially in today’s climate, highly controversial—issue. Part of the challenge lies in the fact that the very definition of consciousness remains a matter of debate.
Unsurprisingly, the conference did not yield a simple answer. A survey of participants revealed that many (47%) found the idea of fetal consciousness between 24 weeks gestation and birth “compelling.” The early postnatal period, up to about six months, was the second most commonly cited timeframe (13%), while a somewhat unexpected 10% selected the early prenatal period—before 24 weeks of gestation.
This question holds obvious relevance to the ongoing abortion debate but also carries important implications for the care of premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Perhaps the most significant takeaway from the discussion was expressed by one of the participating scientists, who cautioned: “Any firm pronouncement that the fetus feels intense pain starting at a certain gestational week is doing a disservice to science, because it is putting an absolute where there just isn’t one.”
Reference
1. Servick K. Science 2025;387(6739):1132-1133