What Do Unborn Babies See?

Psalm 139:13-14
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

“Babies in the womb” was the phrase used by one science article in place of the more usual, coldly inhuman fetuses. I approve of the phrase – because even the word fetus actually means “little one”.

The reason why we, as creationists are opposed to abortion and want to see it abolished is because it is the destruction of a human – a little human – made in the image of God. The psalmist says that God knit us together in our mother’s womb. These, and other biblical arguments pointing out the humanity of the unborn baby, show that the ending of the life of an unborn baby can only be described for what it is – the murder of a human being.

There are, therefore, many scientific indicators which also underscore these biblical foundations. It has been known for many years that unborn babies react to light. It had been thought that this simply meant that their incompletely formed eyes simply had light receptors, indicating “light on” or “light off”. A new study shows that the photo-receptors in second trimester babies are actually linked in much more subtle ways to other systems, such as the parts of the brain concerned with moods and emotions. In fact, babies can respond to the amount of light – not just the fact that light is present or not.

Such responses are what we expect as human reactions, and these observations are consistent with the biblical position that the unborn baby is fully human.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that You knit me together in my mother’s womb and that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Amen.

Author: Paul F. Taylor

Ref: University of California – Berkeley. “Babies in the womb may see more than we thought: Light-sensitive cells in immature retina are networked, suggesting bigger role in developing brain.” ScienceDaily, 25 November 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191125100351.htm>. Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.

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