Why do babies kick in the womb?

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New research suggests that a baby kicking in the womb may not just be due to the foetus stretching or getting comfortable, but could also be helping its brain get a map of where its body is in space. Although we do not think about it consciously, we all need to know where our arms or legs are in order to grasp objects or make sure we do not walk into things. Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi is an MRC Senior Research Fellow at University College London, and has been monitoring the brainwaves of premature and newborn babies when they kick during active sleep. The results have just been published in the journal Scientific Reports. (Image: Pregnant woman touches stomach, Credit: Getty Images.)