Yawning is contagious — even in the womb

Fetuses sometimes yawn when their mothers do, even without being able to see their faces

A pregnant woman yawning while lying on her back in bed.

A new study shows that a mother’s yawning can spread to the fetus. It’s unclear whether those yawns might influence future behaviors.

globalmoments/iStock/Getty Images Plus

A fetus doesn’t have to see a yawn to catch it. 

Mothers can spread yawns to their yet-to-be-born offspring during pregnancy, researchers report May 5 in Current Biology