Babies Can Sense Pain Before They Can Understand It, Finds Study

Babies can feel pain before they know what it means

UCL researchers map how babies' brains develop three different pain networks at different developmental stages.

Babies can sense pain before they can understand it, finds study

Brain networks responsible for sensing, understanding, and responding emotionally to pain develop at different rates in infants, with the conscious understanding of pain not fully developed until after birth, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

Preterm babies feel pain but cannot fully understand or respond to It

A recent study has revealed that while premature babies are capable of feeling physical pain, their brains are not yet developed enough to fully understand it or respond appropriately. Published in a renowned medical journal, the study explains that babies born before full term can sense pain, but their neurological systems for interpreting and reacting to that pain are still underdeveloped. Conducted by University College London, the research a…

Pain Perception in Babies Develops in Stages After Birth

A new study shows that the networks responsible for processing pain in infants develop gradually, with emotional and cognitive pain responses maturing only after birth. Researchers scanned the brains of 372 infants, primarily born prematurely, to track how three brain subsystems related to pain perception matured over time.

Babies can sense pain before they can understand it

19.06.2025 - Brain networks responsible for sensing, understanding, and responding emotionally to pain develop at different rates in infants, with the conscious understanding of pain not fully developed until after birth, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

Babies Feel Pain Long Before They Can Comprehend It

A groundbreaking study led by researchers at University College London (UCL) has illuminated the complex and staggered development of brain networks responsible for processing pain in human newborns. This research, published in the prestigious journal Pain, reveals that the neural pathways underlying the sensory, emotional, and cognitive experiences of pain mature at markedly different rates throughout early infancy. Employing cutting-edge magne…