According to French scientists, female Cape fur seals can recognize the unique cry of their pups as soon as two hours after birth, a new record for mammals. Scientists recorded the seal pups at a seal colony in Namibia and then played back the audio to their moms who immediately hopped over to the recorder to check on their baby. The researchers also found that seal pups recognize their mother’s cries shortly after birth, which suggests they learn their mother’s voice in the womb. 

To compare, human mothers reportedly recognize their baby’s cries around 24 hours after birth, and, if you ask me, I’ll swear until my grave that my oldest recognized my voice the first time I went to see her in the NICU. 

To those who insist babies in the womb aren’t fully human or can be traded around like products, as in the case of surrogacy, science is stubborn. The more we learn, the clearer it becomes: Preborn children have rights.