Information on How Does Baby Develop

Home >> Parenting & Families >> How Does a Baby Develop

How Does a Baby Develop?

Many authors and poets, after hearing the cry and seeing the first flailing move-ments of tiny arms and legs at the moment of birth, have declared that the process of coming into the world is a miracle.

But while childbirth is truly awe-inspiring, the real miracles began long be-fore this transition of the baby from one environment to another. If you are ex-pecting an arrival in the near future, be assured that wondrous and marvelousevents have already taken place in the warm sanctuary of the womb. For it wasthere that a tiny cluster of 64 to 128 cells embedded in the thickened lining of theuterus, just six days after the meeting of egg and sperm. Within seventy-twohours of establishing a temporary residence, this new human being sent a pow-erful hormonal signal to override the mother's monthly cycle, preventing theshedding of her uterine lining.

Then began the astonishing process of differentiation, as new cells took onparticular shapes, sizes, and functions, aligning themselves into tissues and or-gans, eyes and ears, arms and legs. Each of these cells contained all of the infor-mation needed to make any of the multitudes of cell types in the body. Yet duringthe process of constructing and organizing, integrating and communicating withone another, individual cells began to express unique qualities in very short order,but in a seamless and orderly pattern. The intricacy and timing of these eventsare nothing less than masterpieces of planning and engineering.

Before the end of the first six weeks of life, your child's heart has started to beat,eyes are developing, the central nervous system is under construction, most in-ternal organs are forming, and small buds representing future arms and legs have innsed. One cell created by the union of egg and sperm has now become mil-lisimand your new daughter or son has reached the length of one-quarter of an inch.

By the end of eight weeks, the fingers and toes have been formed. Heart, lungs, and major blood vessels have become well developed. Thste buds and the appa-sinsseeded for the sense of smell have appeared. Tiny muscles have generated movements, which at this point a mother cannot feel.

When twelve weeks of growth have ended, your baby has reached a length ofdoer indies The heartbeat can he heard using an electronic listening device. Allorgans and tissues—including heart, lungs, brain, digestive system, kid-and reproductive organs—have been formed and are in place. The only necessary remaining ingredient is time: six more months for growth and maturation.

Sixteen weeks after conception, eyebrows and hair are growing. Your baby, now measuring six to seven inches and weighing nearly as many ounces, kicks,my inmostmiliows, hiccups, wakes, and sleeps. Soon the mother can begin feeling movement inside, an important milestone still referred to as "quickening."

Four weeks later, with weight now approaching one pound, your baby can hear and react to sounds, including Mom's heartbeat and stomach rumblings, asknit meiiinas noise, music, and conversations outside the uterus. (Whether any of these sounds are recognized or become part of early memories is uncertain.)

At twenty-six weeks of life, breathing movements are present, although there is no air to be inhaled. Depending on their weight, babies born prematurely at this time have a 50 to 75 percent chance of survival with expert care, although complication are common. With each additional week that passes within the mother's womb, the baby's likelihood of surviving a premature delivery improves, the risk of long-term complications declines, and the medical care needed after birth usually becomes less complex.

The final fourteen weeks are the homestretch, during which your baby grows and gain weight very rapidly. By the end of thirty-two weeks, the bones are hard eyes are opening and closing, the thumb has found its way into the mouth, and the arms and legs are stretching and kicking regularly. Your baby is twelve and sixteen inches long and weighs about three pounds. Over the next four weeks, the weight nearly doubles, and you will feel all sorts of kicks, prods, and poke much more strongly. A baby born at this age will need some assistance with feeding and keeping warm and could still develop more complicated medical as well. However, the vast majority of those born a month or so ahead of schedule do very well.

Finally, after a few more weeks of rapid weight gain (about half a pound perweek during the last six weeks of gestation), your baby is fully developed and ready to meet you.

Every mother and father awaits the birth of a child with a mixture of antic-ipation, excitement, and anxiety. Who will this new person be? Will this be a son or a daughter (or more than one)? Will she have her mother's eyes? Will he have his father's chin? Will everything be in the right place? Could there have been anyproblems that occurred silently during the passage from conception to birth?

No one can answer all these questions until the moment of birth. Furthermore, a baby may have some initial problems that clear up quickly and not be awarent until a number ofdays, weeks, or even months have passed. Obviously, everyone involved in the de-but of a new life is hoping, praying, and working toward the safe arrival of a healthy baby to a healthy mother. While no one can guarantee this happy out-:ome, there are many positive steps and basic precautions that can dramaticallyincrease the likelihood of a joyful "special delivery."

Other Parenting Artcles:

Home :: Contact Us :: About Us :: Privacy Policy :: Terms of Use :: Site Map