“This is a joyful expression of the humanity of the foetus”

The scan implies that a baby can experience feelings such as happiness and pain much earlier in its development than previously thought.

It will prompt further calls from doctors and campaigners to lower the upper abortion limit from 24 weeks.

They claim that by his stage the unborn baby can already feel agonising pain and the procedure is therefore inhumane.

Many experts dispute these claims, however, and say that a foetus is naturally sedated and unconscious in the womb and cannot experience any senses.