Babies can recognise faces while still in the womb, new research suggests.

Incredible moving images of unborn infants before their birth, shows that they turn their heads towards shapes which resemble faces - with the position of eyes and nose picked out.

But when they see a random shape, they ignore it, scientists at Lancaster University have found.

The finding suggests that the instinct to recognise facial features develops before a baby has even see its first face.

It also shows that an unborn baby's senses are already well developed and parents should begin interacting with their child while it is still in the womb.

Professor Vincent Reid, a psychologist at Lancaster University who led the research: "The foetus in the third trimester actively seeks out information.

“In our study they had to move their head to keep looking at the face-like stimulus when we moved it away from them. So they are active participants in finding information from the environment. What this means is that other ways of interacting with the fetus can be considered.

“The foetus in the third trimester can hear very well. I would encourage expecting parents to read books out loud to each other. This can help with bonding and could be beneficial.”