Do babies cry when in the womb?

Babies do cry while in the womb, according to WebMD. Babies can express their unhappiness with silent crying as early as the 28th week of pregnancy. The discovery of fetal crying in the womb was made by accident when researching the effects of tobacco and cocaine on pregnancy.

Ultrasound research shows babies display crying motions such as opening their mouths, depressing their tongues, taking irregular breaths and exhaling in response to being startled in the womb. The crying state is the fifth behavioral state of a fetus. The other four behavioral states of an unborn fetus include active state, quiet sleep, active awake and quiet awake, according to WebMD.