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DEFINITION
Foetal development
After the embryonic period (8 weeks) and birth the developing human
is called a foetus.
AMNIOTIC FLUID :
1. It distends the amniotic sac and allows for the growth and free
movement of the foetus.
2. It maintenance of constant body temperature for the fetus and
provides small amounts of nutrients.
3. It equalizes pressure and protects the fetus from jarring and
injury.
4. It protects the placenta and umbilical cord from the pressure of
uterine contractions during labour.
FUNCTIONS OF PLACENTA:
UMBILICAL CORD:
vessels
Embryo
Pre-embryonic stage
Embryonic development
From the fourteenth day after conception through the eighth week of
pregnancy the products of conception are referred to as the embryo.
Third week:
Fourth week:
During the 5th week, the optic cups and lens vesicles of the eye are
formed and nasal pits develop.Partitioning of the heart occurs.The
embryo has marked C- shaped body with rudimentary tail and a large
head folded over a protuberant trunk.The heart,circulatory system
and brain show the most advanced development.The brain
differentiates into 5 areas and 10 pairs of cranial nerves.
Sixth week:
At 6 weeks, the head structures are more highly developed and the trunk
is straighter.The upper and lower jaws are recognizable and the external
nares are well developed.Trachea is well developed and lung formation
begins.The upper lip is forced and the palate ear, and other post brachial
body parts begin to develop.The arm begins to extend ventrally across
the chest and both arms and legs have digits though webbed.The embryo
has prominent tail, but begins to regress.Foetal circulation begins to
establish and the liver begins to produce blood cells.
Seventh week
At the seventh week, the head of the embryo is rounded and nearly
erect.The eyes shift from their original position to a forward location,
grow closer and the eyelids begins to form.The formation of the
palate is nearly completed and tongue develops.The gastrointestinal
and genitourinary tracts undergo significant changes.Now, the rectal
and urogenital passages which were blind ended pouch separate into
two tubular structures.The beginnings of all external and internal
structures are present.
Eight week
9-12 weeks
13-16 weeks
17-20 weeks
21 -24 weeks
The fetus reaches a length of 28cm and weighs about 780 gm.The hairs
on the head grows longer and the eyebrows and eyelashes are well
formed.The eye is structurally complete and the fetus has a reflex hand
grip and by the end of the 6th month have startle reflex.The skin is
reddish and wrinkled with little subcutaneous fat.The skin on the hand
and feet are thickened with skin ridges on the palms and soles formed
distinct footprints and fingerprints.The skin over the entire body is
covered with a protective cheese-like fatty substance secreted by the
sebaceous glands called vernix caseosa.The alveoli in the lung begins to
develop.
25-28 weeks
At 6 months, the fetus has appearance of a little old man.The skin is still
wrinkled covered with vernix caseosa.The brain is rapidly developing
and the nervous system is complete enough to provide some regulation
of body functions.The eyelids open and close under neural control.In
male fetus,the testes begins to descend into the scrotal sac.Respiratory
and circulatory systems are sufficiently developed.28th week has been
traditionally considered the earliest period of extra uterine viability.The
lungs are still immature and the fetus requires intensive specialized
care to survive.The fetus at 28 weeks is about 35-38cm long and weighs
about 1250 gm.
29-32 weeks
33-36 weeks
The body and extremities begins to fill out.The skin becomes less
wrinkled.Lanugo hairs begins to disappear and the nails grow to reach
the edge of the fingertips.By 36 weeks, the weigh is 2600- 2750 gm and
42-48 cm in length.The infant born at this age has good chance of
survival but requires some special care.
37-40 weeks
The umbilical vein carrying the oxygenated blood from the placenta,
enters the fetus at the umbilicus and runs along the three margin of
the falciform ligament of the liver, it gives off branches to the left
lobe of the liver and receives the deoxygenated blood from the portal
vein. The greater portion of the oxygenated blood, mixed with some
portal venous blod, short circuits the liver through the ductus venosus
to enter the inferior vena cava and thence to right atrium of the
heart.The terminal part of the inferior vena cava also contains the
deoxygenated blood from the caudal parts of the fetus below the
diaphragm.The amount of such draining venous blood is not large
enough to vitiate the pure blood from the ductus venosus to a great
extent.
FETAL SKULL:
It consists the delicate brain, which gives great pressure as the head
passes through the birth canal. It is large in relation to the fetal body
and in comparison with the mother’s pelvis; therefore some
adaptation between skull and pelvis must take place during labour.
Ossification:
The bones of the fetal head originate in two different ways. The face
is laid down in cartilage and is almost completely ossified at birth, the
bones being fused together and firm. The bones of the vault are laid
down in membrane and are much flatter and more pliable. They
ossify from the centre outwards and this process is incomplete at
birth leaving small gaps, which form the sutures and fontanelles.The
ossification centre on each bone appears as a boss or protuberance.
Sutures are cranial joints and are formed where two bones adjoin.
Fontanelles
The occiput: This region lies between the foramen magnum and the
posterior fontanelle.The part below the occipital protuberance is
known as the suboccipital region. The protuberance itself can be seen
and felt as a prominent point on the posterior aspect of the skull
The sinciput or brow: This extends from the anterior fontanelle and
the coronal suture to the orbital ridges.
The face: The face is small in the newborn baby. It extends from the
orbital ridges and the root of the nose to the junction of the chin and
the neck. The point between the eyebrows is known as the
glabella.The chin is termed the mentum and is an important
landmark.
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