NATION : Thumbs-Down for Left Hand
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NEW YORK — Lefties are by far in a minority even before they are born, a study of thumb-sucking by fetuses suggests.
Researchers using ultrasound examinations found that only 12 of 224 fetuses preferred to suck their left thumb. The 212 others favored their right thumb.
The study found that the position of the fetus did not affect thumb preference. Repeated observations of 17 fetuses found that preference for a particular thumb continued through pregnancy, the researchers said.
The scientists, from Queen’s University of Belfast in Northern Ireland, reported their findings in a letter to the editor in Thursday’s issue of the British journal Nature.
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