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Fetal Development Stages Of Pregnancy Article
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Fetal Development and the Stages of Pregnancy
from:From the first moment that the cells begin to divide and create an embryo, fetal development and the stages of pregnancy progress in an established sequence. When the egg is fertilized, a zygote develops. In this first stage, which takes place during the first two weeks of the pregnancy, the cells multiply and develop.
The next phase of fetal development and the stages of pregnancy occurs when the zygote becomes an embryo. During week three, the embryo starts to develop the buds that will become the arms and legs of the fetus. The digestive system also has rudimentary beginnings at this time.
By the fifth week of fetal development and the stages of pregnancy, the facial features have started to form. The embryo has started to produce hormones and the presence of these hormones stop the mother’s menstrual cycle. When the embryo becomes about an inch long, about the sixth week of the fetal development and the stages of pregnancy, the brain has begun to develop its component parts; facial features, toes and fingers are noticeable and a heartbeat can be detected in an ultrasound test.
During the next several weeks, the organs continue to develop and the features become more distinguishable. The genitalia form, though they can not be distinguished at this stage in an ultrasound. Bones are beginning to form and the muscles can contract. By the end of the first trimester, the fetus is approximately three inches in length and weighs only about an ounce.
During the second trimester of fetal development and the stages of pregnancy, the fetus continues to develop the characteristics that make it recognizable as a human baby. Development has progressed to the point that the fetus will start to move slightly; it is during this time that a mother will start to feel movement. As this period progresses, the fetus will develop waking and sleeping cycles that the mother will soon be able to detect and recognize. At about the 24th week, a normally developed fetus is about twelve inches long and weighs about 2 pounds. It would be able to survive, with the help of current medical technology, if it were delivered.
During the last weeks of fetal development and the stages of pregnancy, or the third trimester, the bones are developed, though they are still pliable. The fetus can inhale, exhale, and even cry. The eyelids open and the lungs continue to develop until the moment of birth. The fetus gains in size and moves less because there is less room to maneuver. Most of the movement occurs as the fetus shifts its position in preparation for birth.
At the age of 30 weeks, the fetus would be small and considered premature, but it could be capable of living on its own if it were delivered. The fetus is considered fully developed at the age of 38 weeks and would be fully capable of living on its own if delivered, though the normal delivery date is considered to be at the end of the 40th week.
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Fetal Development Stages Of Pregnancy News
Study finds prior preterm delivery indicates subsequent baby will be small ... - Medical Xpress
Study finds prior preterm delivery indicates subsequent baby will be small ... Medical Xpress In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that women who deliver their first baby early are more likely to have ... Study questions safety of pre-term C-sections Study indicates that induced labor may not lower risk of infection or ... |
Texas begins enforcing strict anti-abortion sonogram law - msnbc.com
 msnbc.com | Texas begins enforcing strict anti-abortion sonogram law msnbc.com Having to hear the position described of fetal development is not something they are wanting to endure,” said Rochelle Tafolla, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which has three centers that provide abortions. |
Alcohol in Pregnancy: It's Never Safe, Especially Not in the First Trimester - TIME
 TIME | Alcohol in Pregnancy: It's Never Safe, Especially Not in the First Trimester TIME The end of the first trimester appears to be the period when alcohol can wreak the most havoc on fetal development, causing physical deformities as well as behavioral and cognitive symptoms, according to research in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical ... Study: No alcohol intake safe during pregnancy UCSD Study Finds Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Risk Greatest in Early Pregnancy Is Alcohol Ever Safe During Pregnancy? |
Sequenom CMM's MaterniT21™ PLUS Test Expands Current Prenatal Testing Offering - Sacramento Bee
Sequenom CMM's MaterniT21™ PLUS Test Expands Current Prenatal Testing Offering Sacramento Bee The MaterniT21 PLUS test is intended for use in pregnant women at increased risk for fetal aneuploidy and can be used as early as 10 weeks gestation. In the United States, there are an estimated 750000 such high-risk pregnancies each year. |
Antidepressants and pregnancy: Women must consider the impact of drugs on baby ... - The Republic
Antidepressants and pregnancy: Women must consider the impact of drugs on baby ... The Republic By Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz Chicago Tribune Headlines about the potential risks of antidepressants on a developing fetus, including miscarriage, premature birth and newborn breathing problems, have produced angst for many moms on medication. |
South Africa considers law banning sale of alcohol to pregnant women - Telegraph.co.uk
 Telegraph.co.uk | South Africa considers law banning sale of alcohol to pregnant women Telegraph.co.uk South Africa is considering introducing a law that bans retailers from selling alcohol to pregnant women. By Aislinn Laing, Johannesburg The move is designed to cut one of the world's highest rates of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which sees babies develop ... |
Record number of whooping cough cases; vaccinations recommended - The Seattle Times (blog)
Record number of whooping cough cases; vaccinations recommended The Seattle Times (blog) Pregnant women who have been vaccinated pass some protection on to the fetus. Babies get a series of four vaccines against pertussis, or whooping cough, starting at 1 months and ending on their 1st birthday. Because they don't develop full immunity ... |