Heartbeats and Brainwaves

The development of a baby’s life is a remarkable journey, filled with numerous milestones. Among these, the emergence of a baby’s heartbeat and brainwaves are particularly important to the Pro-Life community because they are signs of a human baby developing. The Pro-Choice community would sometimes rather unborn babies be described as “fetuses” or “clumps of cells” that are disposable at any stage of a pregnancy. This is why it is important for us to be educated on these issues, and this article aims to help in that regard.

Heartbeat

The heart begins to beat surprisingly early in a mother’s pregnancy. Around the fourth to sixth week of pregnancy, the tiny cluster of cells that will eventually become a baby’s heart starts to form. At this stage, the heart resembles a simple tube, and blood vessels begin to branch out. By the end of the sixth week (at the latest), a miniature heart begins to beat, marking the initiation of the circulatory system.

Brainwaves

Brain activity, which reflects the early stages of cognitive development, is another significant milestone in a baby’s growth. While the precise timing of when brainwaves first emerge is still a subject of ongoing research, various sources report that they appear around six to eight weeks.

Around the eighth week, neurons, the building blocks of the nervous system, begin to form rapidly in the fetal brain. These neurons establish connections and form synapses, enabling electrical impulses to travel across the developing brain. As the synaptic activity increases, brainwaves gradually emerge.

During the twelfth week, the baby’s brain becomes more active, generating electrical patterns that can be measured. While these brainwaves may not resemble the complex patterns seen in adults, they signify the initial stages of neural activity and serve as a foundation for future brain development.

What Does This Mean?

Heartbeats and brainwaves are signs of life. This means that unborn babies are nothing less than human, and should be legally protected as full members of society. The unborn have no voice. They have no cultural or political power. They need us to stand boldly to defend their right to live, and that is what the Pro-Life community strives to do.