DC 2007-04-23, In The Womb 子宫日记 10

She has grown to seven inches long and is showing an incredible level of detail. She even has her very own fingerprints. (We get a 3D picture just prepared for you in minute.)Most mothers have a more detailed second ultrasound scan around this time, which surveys the anatomy of the fetus and measures the rate of growth since the last scan. (Wow, she is now a baby, is it?) These scans are only performed for medical reasons to help predict possible complications. 4D scans are specially helpful in diagnosing a cleft palate. But doctors have discovered that, for parents-to-be, the scans also play a beneficial role in developing emotional bonds.

(The baby is kneeling. You see that? Yeah, hopefully, get a lovely picture.) Research has shown that seeing the face and expression of the developing fetus while it's still inside the womb can be an intense bonding experience. It can provide an important boost to the baby's development once it's born, and also to the long-term relationship between the child and her parents.

After six months of pregnancy, at the end of the second trimester, everything has developed and is functioning as it will in the fully-grown baby. It's all there, just very small and immature. In the next phase, she will embark on one of the most dramatic challenges of her time in the womb, the development of the senses.

At six months old, the fetus reaches a major landmark. Though barely longer than her father's hand, it's possible that she could survive outside the cradle of the womb. She'd still need extensive care, but 24 weeks is currently regarded as the earliest that a baby can be born and still have a good chance of surviving. Exceptionally, a few babies live when born as young as 22 weeks. But any baby that is born prematurely faces an increased risk of brain damage, with nearly half of all babies born before 26 weeks developing disabilities or learning difficulties. The big problem is the small lungs, which are too underdeveloped to take enough oxygen into the blood stream.

With three months to go before birth, growth is the big job for this little girl. With all her organs in place, now they need time to develop and mature. Around this time, the mother becomes more and more aware of movement made by the fetus. Her abdomen continues to grow and she is likely to be feeling better now than at any time throughout her pregnancy, very energetic and active. She's passed the effects of morning sickness and the fetus isn't big enough yet to cause the kind of discomfort she will feel at the end of pregnancy.

From 24 weeks or 6 months, the fetus enters one of the most exciting and dramatic periods of development. This is the time when she receives her first stimulation from the world beyond as her senses flicker to life. Most of the sense organs, ears, nose, taste buds and the nerves that respond to touch are now mature. Her brain is being bombarded by signals from the sensory cells, and she must begin to interpret this overload of sensation. Throughout her life, her senses will be her key to the world beyond.