Lecture 7.1: Foetal Growth & Development Flashcards
What is the average length of pregnancy/gestation?
40 weeks
How is pregnancy counted?
- From the first day of the woman’s last period
- Not the date of conception which generally occurs two
weeks later
EDD by LMP is calculated by…?
Adding 280 days (40 weeks) to the first day of the last menstrual period
What is Gestational Age?
It is the age of the pregnancy from the last normal menstrual period (LMP)
What is Foetal Age?
It is the actual age of the growing baby
What is Crown-Rump Length (CRL)?
It is the measurement of the length of human embryos and foetuses from the top of the head (crown) to the bottom of the buttocks (rump)
When is CRL measured? Why is it done?
- 7 & 13 weeks
- To date the pregnancy & estimate EDD
- Rule out ectopic
- Confirm number of foetuses
When does Foetal Period start?
- From week 10 of gestation (week 8 of foetal
development)
What happens during the Foetal Period? (5)
- All the systems have formed during the embryonic
stage and continue their development during the fetal
stage - Increase in size of baby
- Increase in protein mass at first and then adipose
tissue - There are significant changes at birth.
- Even at birth the body systems have not yet completed
their development
At birth what is the the average weight, head circumference & length of a baby boy?
- Weight of 3.5kg
- Head circumstance of 35cm
- Length of 52 cm
What weeks is the Germinal Period?
0 to 2 weeks
What weeks is the Embryonic Period?
2-8 week after fertilisation
What weeks is the Foetus Period?
8 weeks to birth
What weeks is the Neonatal Period?
Birth to 4 weeks
What is a Preterm Neonate?
<37 weeks
What is a Very Preterm Neonate?
28 to 32 weeks
What is an Extremely Preterm Neonate?
Less than 28 weeks
What is the Neonatal Period?
Birth to 1 month
What is the Infancy Period?
1 month to 2 years
What is the Childhood Period?
2 years to puberty
What is the Puberty Period?
12 years to mid-teens
What is the Young Adult Period?
Late teens to early twenties
What is Very Low Birth Weight?
1500 grams
What is Low Birth Weight?
<2500 grams
What is Macrosomia?
- Excessive birth weight
- > 4500g
What should be supplemented in the Pre-Natal/Ante-Natal Period?
- Vitamin D supplementation
- Folic acid
What should be avoided in the Pre-Natal/Ante-Natal Period? (4)
- Listeriosis: Drink only pasteurised or UHT milk
- Do not eat ripened soft cheese
- Do not eat pâté
- Do not eat uncooked or undercooked ready-prepared
meals/eggs
How is Pregnancy split up?
Pregnancy is also divided into three 13 week trimesters
What happens to the mother in the 1st Trimester?
Rapid influx of hormones causes intense pregnancy symptoms
What happens to the mother in the 2nd Trimester?
- Most symptoms stop
- Pregnancy starts to show
What happens to the mother in the 3rd Trimester?
Extra weight makes it hard to sleep and move
What Trimester can the baby’s heartbeat first be heard?
1st trimester
What is the baby’s size and weight at the end of the 1st Trimester?
- 2.9”
- 0.8oz/22g
When can the baby’s gender be revealed?
- 2nd Trimester
- 18-20 weeks
What is the baby’s size and weight at the end of the 2nd Trimester?
- 14”
- 1.7lbs/771g