MCN - Milestones For Fetal Growth and Development

MILESTONES FOR FETAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:
End of 4th Gestational Week

At the end of the fourth week of gestation, the human embryo is a group of rapidly growing cells but does not yet resemble a human being. Length: 0.751 cm Weight: 400 mg The spinal cord is formed and fused at the midpoint. Lateral wings that will form the body are folded forward to fuse at the midline. The head folds forward and becomes prominent, representing about one-third of the entire structure. The back is bent so that the head almost touches the tip of the tail. The rudimentary heart appears as a prominent bulge on the anterior surface. Arms and legs are budlike structures. Rudimentary eyes, ears, and nose are discernible

Length: 2.5 cm (1 in) Weight: 20 g Organogenesis is complete. The heart, with a septum and valves, is beating rhythmically. Facial features are definitely discernible. Arms and legs have developed. External genitalia are forming, but sex is not yet distinguishable by simple observation. The primitive tail is regressing.
The abdomen bulges forward because the fetal intestine is growing so rapidly. An ultrasound shows a gestational sac, diagnostic of pregnancy.
End of 12th Gestational Week (First Trimester)

Length: 78 cm Weight: 45 g Nail beds are forming on fingers and toes. Spontaneous movements are possible, although they are usually too faint to be felt by the mother. Some reflexes, such as the Babinski reflex, are present. Bone ossification centers begin to form. Tooth buds are present. Sex is distinguishable by outward appearance. Urine secretion begins but may not yet be evident in amniotic fluid. The heartbeat is audible through Doppler technology.

Length: 1017 cm Weight: 55120 g Fetal heart sounds are audible by an ordinary stethoscope. Lanugo is well formed. Liver and pancreas are functioning. Fetus actively swallows amniotic fluid, demonstrating an intact but uncoordinated swallowing reflex; urine is present in amniotic fluid. Sex can be determined by ultrasound.

Length: 25 cm Weight: 223 g Spontaneous fetal movements can be sensed by the mother. Antibody production is possible. The hair forms on the head, extending to include eyebrows. Meconium is present in the upper intestine. Brown fat, a special fat that will aid in temperature regulation at birth, begins to be formed behind the kidneys, sternum, and posterior neck. Vernix caseosa begins to form and cover the skin. Passive antibody transfer from mother to fetus begins. Definite sleeping and activity patterns are distinguishable (the fetus has developed biorhythms that will guide sleep/wake patterns throughout life).
End of 24th Gestational Week (Second Trimester)

Length: 2836 cm Weight: 550 g Meconium is present as far as the rectum. Active production of lung surfactant begins. Eyebrows and eyelashes become well defined. Eyelids, previously fused since the 12th week, now open. Pupils are capable of reacting to light. When fetuses reach 24 weeks, or 601 g, they have achieved a practical low-end age of viability (earliest age at which fetuses could survive if born at that time), if they are cared for after birth in a modern intensive care facility. Hearing can be demonstrated by response to sudden sound

Length: 3538 cm Weight: 1200 g Lung alveoli begin to mature, and surfactant can be demonstrated in amniotic fluid. Testes begin to descend into the scrotal sac from the lower abdominal cavity. The blood vessels of the retina are formed but thin and extremely susceptible to damage from high oxygen concentrations (an important consideration when caring for preterm infants who need oxygen).
End of 32nd Gestational Week

Length: 3843 cm Weight: 1600 g Subcutaneous fat begins to be deposited (the former stringy, little old man appearance is lost). Fetus responds by movement to sounds outside the mothers body. Active Moro reflex is present. Iron stores, which provide iron for the time during which the neonate will ingest only milk after birth, are beginning to be developed. Fingernails grow to reach the end of fingertips.

Length: 4248 cm Weight: 18002700 g (56 lb) Body stores of glycogen, iron, carbohydrate, and calcium are deposited. Additional amounts of subcutaneous fat are deposited. Sole of the foot has only one or two crisscross creases, compared with the full crisscross pattern that will be evident at term. Amount of lanugo begins to diminish. Most babies turn into a vertex (head down) presentation during this month.
End of 40th Gestational Week (Third Trimester)

Length: 4852 cm (crown to rump, 3537 cm) Weight: 3000 g (77.5 lb) Fetus kicks actively, hard enough to cause the mother considerable discomfort. Fetal hemoglobin begins its conversion to adult hemoglobin. The conversion is so rapid that, at birth, about 20% of hemoglobin will be adult in character. Vernix caseosa is fully formed. Fingernails extend over the fingertips. Creases on the soles of the feet cover at least two thirds of the surface.

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MILESTONES FOR FETAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:

End of 4th Gestational Week

End of 8th Gestational Week

End of 12th Gestational Week (First Trimester)

End of 16th Gestational Week

End of 20th Gestational Week

End of 24th Gestational Week (Second Trimester)

End of 28th Gestational Week

End of 32nd Gestational Week

End of 36th Gestational Week

End of 40th Gestational Week (Third Trimester)

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