London, June 19 -- A groundbreaking study from University College London (UCL) has revealed that newborns are capable of sensing pain well before they can cognitively understand or emotionally react to it.

The findings, published in the journal Pain, offer new insights into how infants' brains develop the ability to process pain and have significant implications for neonatal care, especially for preterm babies.

The research, led by Professor Lorenzo Fabrizi of UCL's Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, explored how different components of pain perception emerge in early life.

"Pain is a complex experience with physical, emotional, and cognitive elements," Fabrizi explained, adding, "In adults, the brain regions invo...