During Pregnancy Flashcards
1
Q
Give 4 adaptations a fetus makes during pregnancy to prepare itself for extrauterine life (4mks)
A
1) It swallows amniotic fluid which encourages the kidneys to develop through excretion and helps lung development by using the muscles in the rib cage (muscle development)
2) fetal breathing movements helps muscle development and helps the development of the alveoli keeping them open so they don’t stick together
3) circulation e.g HB, RBCs adaptations and ductus arteriosous/venosus and foramen ovale etc
4) surfactant develops in lung fluid and reduces surface tension in alveoli so they can expand easily and is produced around 32/40
