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Different terms are used to describe prenatal development, meaning development before birth. A term with the same meaning is the "antepartum" (from Latin ante "before" and parere "to give birth") Sometimes "antepartum" is however used to denote the period between the 24th/26th week of gestational age until birth, for example in antepartum ...
Fetal viability refers to a point in fetal development at which the fetus may survive outside the womb. The lower limit of viability is approximately 5 + 3 ⁄ 4 months gestational age and is usually later. [20] There is no sharp limit of development, age, or weight at which a fetus automatically becomes viable. [21]
The fetus weighs about 2.5 to 3 kg (6 lb 10 oz)to 6 lb 12 oz). Lanugo begins to disappear. Body fat increases. Fingernails reach the end of the fingertips. A baby born at 36 weeks has a high chance of survival, but may require medical interventions. Fetus at 38 weeks after fertilization. [12]
Human embryology is the study of this development during the first eight weeks after fertilization. The normal period of gestation (pregnancy) is about nine months or 36 weeks. The germinal stage refers to the time from fertilization through the development of the early embryo until implantation is completed in the uterus.
During continued fetal development, the early body systems, and structures that were established in the embryonic stage continue to develop. Sex organs begin to appear during the third month of gestation. The fetus continues to grow in both weight and length, although the majority of the physical growth occurs in the last weeks of pregnancy.
During the first 3 months of pregnancy, the main form of hemoglobin in the embryo/fetus is embryonic hemoglobin, which has 3 variants depending on the types of subunits it contains. The production of hemoglobin F starts from week 6, but it's only from 3 months onwards that it becomes the main type found in fetal red blood cells. [4]
A fetus is a stage in the human development considered to begin nine weeks after fertilization. [4] [5] In biological terms, however, prenatal development is a continuum, with many defining features distinguishing an embryo from a fetus. A fetus is also characterized by the presence of all the major body organs, though they will not yet be ...
Movements such as kicking continue, and the mother usually feels movement for the first time, an event called quickening, during the fifth month. [17] Around this time, limb movements become more complex, with flexing of the joints and ribs. This activity assists with proper joint development. [15]