Foetal development in the Foetal development in the wombwomb

LCA Social Education

Module 4

The beginning…

Fertilization = the joining of the sperm and the egg in the fallopian tube to form a unique human being.

For the first 8 weeks it is known as an Embryo. After 8 weeks it is known as a Foetus.an Embryo

This is a fertilized egg only 30 hours after conception

4 weeks

The Embryo is attached to the mother’s uterus.

A foetus at 7 weeks in the wombWhat changes do you notice?

A foetus at 7 weeks in the wombWhat other changes do you notice?

A foetus at 7 weeks in the womb

What else do you notice?

How do you think the foetus receives its nutrition?

A foetus at 11 weeks in the wombWhat changes do you notice?

A foetus at 12 weeks in the wombWhat changes do you notice in the feet?

A foetus at 12 weeks in the wombWhat changes do you notice in

the hand?

Why do you think the Amniotic Sac is very important?

16 week foetus

A foetus at 3-4 months What developments do you notice in the foot?

What other changes do you see at 4 months?

What changes do you see at 5 months?

9 months – full term

Summary Foetal Development

What happens over the 40 weeks?

Week 4: The placenta develops

Week 6: Umbilical cord develops, first heart beat begins, buds for arms and legs form

Week 8: elbows and feet begin to grow, teeth develop under gums

week 14• head-face, eyes,

retina, eyelids and eyebrows, ears, bones in the middle ear, nostrils

• vocal cords, intestines, pancreases, arms, hands, fingernails, hair, legs, toenails, fat, placenta, brain, muscles.

A scan of a baby in the womb at 14 weeks

from 24 weeks

• Week 24: eyes and ears develop and move to their proper position throughout the trimester

• Week 26: brain waves for sight and sound

• Week 27: eyes start opening and retinas start growing

Weight and InchesWith a ruler look at these measurements

• 4 months: the baby’s length is 4.5 inches

• 5 months: the baby’s length is 10 inches.

• 6 months: the baby’s length is 12 inches and weighs more than a 1 pound

A new born baby

What was your birth weight?

Birth Defects

Has anyone heard about Birth Defects?

Have you heard of these ones?

• Down Syndrome• Cerebral Palsy• Cystic Fibrosis• Cleft Palate• etc

…these defects are Genetic.

Some are non-genetic and can be avoided. Let’s look at a couple of examples:

Spina Bifida

From looking at the picture what is Spina Bifida?

Why is it important for a pregnant woman to take Folic Acid, especially in the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy?

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)From looking at the pictures - What is FAS & What do

you think causes it?

The Effect of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) on a baby’s brain

What differences do you notice?

How do you think Smoking & Drugs affect the development

of a baby in the womb?

The End