Parents’ level of knowledge about the competencies of their unborn child. Comparative analysis of studies conducted in 2009 and 2025

Abstract

The aim of this article is to compare the results of studies conducted in 2009 and 2025 on the level of knowledge among parents during their earliest parenthood about the development of the unborn child, their psychosocial competencies, and sources of knowledge on this topic. In both cases, a diagnostic survey method was used, using a questionnaire. Based on the research, a significant increase in parents’ awareness of their child’s prenatal development was observed. Parents increasingly perceive the child and the mother as two separate beings, better understanding the development of their senses, emotions, and motor and cognitive abilities. Knowledge about the onset of a child's heartbeat, the development of hearing and vision, and the awareness that children experience emotions and are capable of memory from the fetal stage have significantly improved. Sources of information have also changed – traditional media, such as newspapers and conversations with specialists, have been replaced by the internet, apps, and books.