Newborns Learning While They Sleep

July 16, 2010
Blurb
At just a day and a half old little Kurt has already convinced his parents that he's brilliant.
"You had your first EEG on the second day of your life," mother Yunglin Gazes said.
A new study conducted at the hospital where Kurt was born may confirm mom and dad's suspicions -- that their baby is a genius.
"We are monitoring the brain waves as the baby is learning," said Dr. William Fifer of Columbia University at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
The study is putting newborns to the test. It's the brainchild of Dr. Fifer, an expert in neurodevelopment. He's trying to determine how much newborns absorb from their surroundings -- even though they sleep 90 percent of the time.
Read the transcript at CBSNews