The first few weeks of pregnancy are especially important, because during this period the baby grows and changes by leaps and bounds. It is at this time that all the basic organs and systems are laid and begin to form.
Recall that the gestation period and the "age" of the baby do not coincide: the first is always more than the last for two weeks, since for the beginning of pregnancy obstetricians take the first day of the last menstruation. In this article, we will examine what "successes" the embryo has achieved in eight obstetric weeks.
Fruit in 8 weeks - dimensions
How does the fetus (or rather, the embryo, for the time being) look like in 8 obstetric weeks? It more and more resembles a person, although the limbs are not yet fully formed, and the back gradually turns into a tail. The length of the baby from the coccyx to the top (the so-called coccyx-parietal size, or KTP) is 1.5-2 cm. This is not more than a raspberry fruit. Yes, and it weighs about 3 g. The biparietal size of the embryo head is 6 mm, and the diameter of the yolk sac is 4.5 mm.
Sometimes an ultrasound study reveals that the size of the fetus at 8 weeks of gestation does not match the norm. This is not a reason for panic. The fact is that sometimes the development and growth of a human embryo occur spasmodically. Another reason is also possible: fertilization has come nearer to the end of the menstrual cycle. And in that, and in another case the kid will necessarily catch up and, maybe, will overtake "specifications".
Fetal development 8-9 weeks
At 7-8 weeks the fetus does not look much like a human: it is still bent, the head is tilted to the hearth. However, towards the end of the 8th week of pregnancy and at the beginning of the ninth, the torso and neck begin to straighten. The stomach and intestines take the final form and occupy their permanent place, forming the primary intestinal loop. Due to the development of the chest, the heart gradually moves inside the future thorax.
Handles and legs are distinctly different from each other. On the handle of the fetus on the 8th week of pregnancy, you can see the ulnar fossa and wrist, and on the wrist - the rudiments of the fingers. A little later, the fingers will form, and the membranes between them will disappear. The legs do not change so much yet. The formation and development of muscles, bones and cartilage is in full swing.
The head of the human embryo at 8 weeks is almost half its entire length. The formation of the face begins. The lens of the eye is closed by a dark iris, the retina is formed. The first branchial arch is gradually transformed into the upper and lower jaws. It is already possible to distinguish the contours of the spout. The rudiments of the auricles are quite low, but soon they will take their "lawful" place.
The umbilical cord and the placenta are developing - the link between mother and baby. In the wall of the yolk sac, primary sex cells appear. Together with the blood they are transferred to the rudiments of the sex glands. Formed genital rollers, but it is still impossible to determine the sex of the child.
The nervous system continues to develop, especially the brain is growing intensively. No matter how difficult it is to believe it, some scientists say that the embryo has been dreaming for 7-8 weeks. In addition, the development of
The skin of the baby is still very thin, transparent. Through it are visible blood vessels, the brain and some organs.
Fetus at week 8 of pregnancy - Danger
Since in the early stages of pregnancy, all vital systems and organs are laid, any failure can lead to sad consequences - a stagnant pregnancy , miscarriage, pathologies of fetal development. That is why now it is necessary to be very careful: do not drink alcohol (in any quantity), do not smoke, do not take medicine if possible.