Fetal behaviour and movements not only give an insight into the developing brain, as an expression of neural activity, but are also necessary for the further development of neural structure and of other organs. This book presents an account of our current understanding of fetal behaviour as obtained through the assessment of fetal movements and behavioural states. The approach is based on the premises of developmental neurology, and provides important clues for the recognition of the age-specific functional repertoire of the nervous system. The companion DVD contains 26 movies using both ultrasound and dynamic MRI to illustrate the text. After presenting the historical background, the authors describe in detail the patterns of fetal movements and the mechanisms underlying them. They then discuss determinants of fetal behaviour, explaining the impact of different pregnancy-related and maternal factors on behaviour. Other chapters describe important aspects such as fetal responsiveness, laterality and development of handedness, and the behaviour of twins. The final chapter reviews research on the effects of various neurological conditions on fetal behaviour. The ability to assess the functional condition of the nervous system is invaluable to the clinician, as a considerable percentage of early brain damage is of prenatal origin. The structured and standardized description of fetal behavioural patterns proposed in this book improves our ability to understand the mechanisms underlying various aspects of behaviour in healthy fetuses and in those with brain lesions or other risk factors. Because of this, the volume will be of great interest not only to researchers in this field but also to all of those working in neonatology, paediatrics and paediatric neurology.

Readership: Researchers in this field, neonatologists, paediatricians, paediatric neurologists, neurophysiologists, neuroscientists, obstetricians

Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 189

• AUTHORS' APPOINTMENTS vi
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii
• FOREWORD viii
• INTRODUCTION x
• 1. OBSERVATION OF FETAL BEHAVIOUR 1
• 2. SPONTANEOUS MOTOR BEHAVIOUR 17
• 3. PRENATAL LATERALITY 69
• 4. BEHAVIOURAL STATES 72
• 5. FETAL RESPONSIVENESS 91
• 6. FETAL BEHAVIOUR IN TWINS 120
• 7. DETERMINANTS OF FETAL BEHAVIOUR 124
• 8. FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE FETAL NERVOUS SYSTEM 158
• EPILOGUE 188
• LIST OF VIDEOS 190
• INDEX 192

"Part of the Clinics in Developmental Medicine series, this book provides a comprehensive exploration of fetal development and behaviour from the perspective of the functional hypothesis, looking at fetal behaviour and neurodevelopment as interdependent processes in the normal development of the human fetus. This position is clear from the introduction, which asserts the importance of fetal behaviour as a window on neural development, as well as usefully clarifying terminology, for example that 'behaviourial' refers simply to the overt state and does not imply any subjective or emotional experience. The book is accompanied by a CD comprising short videos of fetal and infant movement, providing valuable exemplars of specific behaviours referred to in the book." Katherine Elizabeth Manning, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 2013

'This unique book brings together several decades of research on fetal behavior. Although it will mainly be of interest to behavioral researchers, it has clinical applicability to obstetricians, neonatologists, and pediatric neurologists. As the puzzle of the developing brain is explored, this book will add some understanding of the mechanisms and assessment of development of normal and abnormal behavior.' Jay Goldsmith, MD, Tulane University School of Medicine