Foetal Consciousness and the Case Against Abortion, By Mrs. Vera West and Mrs. (Dr) Abigail Knight (Florida)

Today we are tackling a heavy topic inspired by a LifeNews article. The piece highlights a January 2026 review by neonatologist Carlo Bellieni, titled "A Rudimentary Consciousness Appears in the Late Fetal Period," published in EC Gynaecology. Bellieni's work challenges long-held assumptions about when unborn babies might start experiencing the world around them, and it's being touted as a game-changer in the abortion debate.

Bellieni's review isn't some fringe opinion — it's a synthesis of 31 clinical trials from the past decade, focusing on foetal anatomy, perception, and memory as building blocks of consciousness. He defines the "minimum common denominator" of consciousness as memory, which is a pragmatic starting point. After all, if a being can remember and respond to stimuli, it's interacting with its environment in a meaningful way.

Key highlights from the studies:

Anatomy: Thalamo-cortical fibres start forming in embryos and strengthen by the second half of pregnancy. Crucially, a temporary brain structure called the subplate acts as a stand-in for the mature cerebral cortex, enabling sensory experiences as early as mid-pregnancy. Bellieni notes, "These structures are the subplate, useful for most sensations, and the thalamus for pain. … We can realistically say that the first sensations are perceived by mid-pregnancy."

Perception: Foetuses aren't just passive passengers. They respond to sounds (like mum's voice), tastes (preferring sweet over bitter in amniotic fluid), touch (lingering longer when mum rubs her belly), and even visuals (favouring face-like patterns over random ones).

Memory: Using tools like magnetoencephalography, researchers have shown late-term foetuses (around 35 weeks) can detect patterns in sounds and remember them. Newborns even show preferences based on prenatal experiences, like recognising stories read aloud during pregnancy.

This counters claims from groups like the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), who argue foetuses are sedated by neuroinhibitors throughout pregnancy, experiencing nothing until birth. Bellieni pushes back with evidence of varying behavioural states (awake/asleep cycles) and low inhibitor levels that don't equate to constant sedation.

In essence, consciousness isn't a light switch flipped at birth — it's a continuum that ramps up from mid-gestation onward.

From an anti-abortion perspective, this science reframes the unborn as active participants in life, not mere "potential" humans. If foetuses can perceive, remember, and possibly feel pain by the second trimester, terminating a pregnancy isn't just ending a biological process — it's interrupting a conscious being's existence. Here's how this stance plays out:

1.Personhood Starts Earlier: Pro-life advocates often argue that human rights begin at conception, but Bellieni's findings add empirical weight to protecting foetuses from viability onward (around 20-24 weeks). If consciousness emerges mid-pregnancy, drawing arbitrary lines, like at 12 weeks for elective abortions, becomes harder to justify. As the article notes, cognitive traits like moral reasoning develop post-birth anyway, so why single out foetuses as non-persons?

2.Pain and Suffering Matter: Debates on foetal pain have raged for years, with some experts (including Bellieni in prior work) suggesting it could start as early as 19-22 weeks. If unborn babies can experience discomfort, procedures like late-term abortions raise ethical red flags. Anti-abortion groups use this to push for bans on abortions after 15-20 weeks, emphasising compassion for the vulnerable.

3.The Continuum of Life: Bellieni's continuum view undermines "bright-line" distinctions. Birth doesn't magically confer consciousness — it's already budding in utero. This aligns with pro-life ethics that value all stages of human development equally, from zygote to elder. In a world where we protect premature infants in NICUs, why not extend that to their in-womb counterparts?

4.Broader Societal Implications: Beyond ethics, this could influence policy. Imagine laws requiring anaesthesia for foetal surgeries or informed consent about potential foetal experiences during abortions. It also challenges cultural narratives that downplay prenatal life, potentially shifting public opinion toward more protective stances.

From an anti-abortion lens, it strengthens the case that unborn babies deserve protection as conscious beings on a human journey.

https://www.lifenews.com/2026/02/20/study-shows-unborn-babies-experience-consciousness/