Why We Can't Remember Being Babies: New Study Reveals the Reason

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Have you ever pondered what life was like as an infant? No matter how much effort you put into trying, you just can't recall any specifics?

The issue isn't that infant memories vanish entirely; rather, they become inaccessible as one grows older, according to recent studies.

The research, released on Thursday in the journal Science reviewed data from 26 infants aged between 4.2 and 24.9 months, divided into two categories: under 1 year old and between 12 to 24 months.

In the course of the experiment, infants were positioned within an fMRI The machine was presented with a sequence of distinct images, each displayed for two seconds. The researchers sought to document the activity occurring in the brain during this process. hippocampus —the part of the brain linked to emotions, memory, and control of the autonomic nervous system.

The hippocampus is a deep-brain structure that can’t be seen using conventional techniques, so we needed to create a novel method for performing memory studies on babies within an MRI scanner," explained Dr. Nick Turk-Browne, the principal investigator and a psychology professor at Yale University, through email correspondence. "Such research typically takes place when infants are sleeping since they tend to move around frequently, do not comply with directions, and possess brief concentration periods.

Dr. Simona Ghetti, who works as a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, specializes in studying how memory develops during childhood. She noted that although numerous investigations have shown infants' ability to form memories, this new research stands out because it connects memory formation with activity in the hippocampus. Dr. Ghetti did not participate in conducting this particular study.

Following a brief pause, the infants were presented with two pictures placed next to each other; one picture featured familiar objects they had previously observed, while the other displayed something novel. The scientists monitored the babies' ocular movements, recording which image captured their attention for a more extended period.

If a baby gazed longer at the recognizable picture, it indicated they remembered seeing it before, suggesting some level of memory retention. Conversely, if they showed no particular interest in either image, it might imply their memory capabilities were not as advanced, as per the research findings.

Researchers have utilized eye movements in numerous studies focusing on infant memory and categorization," Ghetti stated through an email exchange. "Babies tend to gaze at things that capture their interest, and scientists have consistently used this natural action as a way to gather insights into how infants' memories operate.

Analyzing hippocampus activation

After gathering the primary information, the group examined fMRI scans from infants who gazed more intently at a recognizable picture compared to those without such a bias. Experiments were discarded when the infant was not paying attention to the display due to frequent movement or blinking.

The research showed that the hippocampus displayed higher levels of activity in older infants during memory encoding. Furthermore, only the older infants demonstrated activity in this region. orbitofrontal cortex , which is crucial for processes related to memory-based choices and identification.

One key insight from research on adult memory is that the details we typically store and encode involve experiences closely tied to us," explained Dr. Lila Davachi, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Columbia University, who did not participate in the study. "What makes this particular study remarkable is its compelling demonstration of how the hippocampus encodes information in infants even when those stimuli aren’t particularly significant to their current state.

Even though the reason behind stronger memory encoding in infants over 12 months remains uncertain, it probably stems from significant changes occurring within their bodies during this period.

"The baby’s brain experiences numerous transformations related to perception, language, movement, biology, and more during this period, such as the swift development of the hippocampus," explained Turk-Browne.

Turk-Browne and his colleagues are currently investigating why the brain struggles to access these initial memories throughout our lives. He hypothesizes that during infancy, the way the brain processes information might indicate that the hippocampus doesn't receive precise "search queries" needed to locate the memory as it was originally encoded according to the infant’s experiences at the time.

What is the significance of this phase for mothers and fathers?

Ghetti advises parents to consider how infancy influences their kids, despite the fact that the children might not be able to recall these formative experiences later on.

Ghetti mentioned that babies are absorbing a significant amount of information at this stage, which enables them to start understanding an entire language by connecting sounds to their meanings. Additionally, she noted that infants are developing expectations regarding their family members and exploring the characteristics of objects and their surroundings.

Moments like these occur frequently for parents when they repeatedly sing the same lullaby or read the same storybook, as Davachi pointed out, leading to a recognizable reaction in toddlers.

"Employing repetition with infants can foster a deeper bond between parents and their babies," she stated through email.

Although you cannot retrieve your initial recollections as an adult, it's reasonable to assume that you're still absorbing lessons from those events. This applies to both non-emotional and emotionally charged details alike, according to Ghetti.

This could serve as a reminder to parents that early childhood isn’t just idle time; rather, babies learn a lot during this period," Ghetti stated. "Providing chances for visual discovery might play a key role in fostering these essential learning abilities.

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