Age Norms

Prenatal Physical Development 

ZYGOTE (1-2 weeks)    

24-36 hours after conception

     Cells begin to divide.    

3 days after conception              

     The zygote consists of about three dozen cells.    

4 days after conception              

     Two distintive layers become evident, i.e., trophoblast and blastocyst.

     The tropoblast (outer layer) becomes the amniotic sac, placenta, etc...

     The blastocyst becomes the child itself.

10-12 days after conception

     Zygote implants itself into the uterine wall of the mother.

     The blastocyst contains about 150 cells.

 
EMBRYO (2-8 weeks)
2 weeks
     Organogenesis, the process by which the organs are formed, begins.
  Neuroblasts (immature neurons) begin to form.
 
3 weeks
     Pregnancy tests begin to yield positive results.
Central Nervous System and heart begin to develop.
 
4-5 weeks
     Eyes and limbs begin to form.
     Placenta becomes fully functional.
 
6 weeks
     Ears and teeth begin to form.
Genitals begin to develop.
 7-8 weeks
     Basic structure of the nervous system is in place.
 As muscles and body parts form, we find body movements.
 The sense of touch begins to come “online”.
 By the end of this period, every organ of the body has begun to form.
 The embryo is about one inch long!
 
FETUS (8-38 weeks)
8-12 week
Genitals are clearly visible.    
Startle and sucking reflexes appear.
9 weeks
     Fetus begins to respond to lip contact.
 12 weeks
     Circulatory system begins to develop.
Grasping reflex becomes visible.
 13-16 weeks
     Swallowing begins.
 14 weeks
     By this point, the senses of smell and taste have developed.
 16 weeks
     The fetus is about six inches long.
 20-24 weeks
     Eyebrows, eyelashes, and scalp hair have all formed.
 Skin thickens
 Skin is covered by vernix, a waxy substance that is secreted by the
     sebaceous glands of the fetus.
Fetus is about twelve inches long (20 weeks).
Sense of hearing is developed (21 weeks).
Fetus able to suck and swallow (24 weeks).
 
26 weeks
     Sense of sight begins to develop.
 28 weeks
     Humans typically reach their lifelong peak in the number of neurons
     (brain cells) we possess.
 After this point, survival after birth is increasingly likely.
28-32 weeks
     Respiratory system develops.
 29-37 weeks
     Amount of body fat increases.    
Myelination of neurons begins.
36 weeks
     Fetus begins to rapidly gain weight.
 37-40 weeks
     Fetus has reached full-term.

 Your Baby's Growth: Conception to Birth

Congratulations on becoming pregnant! We are sure you are curious about how your
pregnancy will progress, and how your baby will develop week to week over the next few
months. In this slideshow we will take a look inside the womb to see how a baby develops
through the first, second, and third trimesters.

Conception

Step one of conception is when the sperm penetrates the egg to complete the genetic make-up
of a human fetus. At this moment (conception), the sex and genetic make-up of the fetus
begins. About three days later, the fertilized egg cell divides rapidly and then passes through
the Fallopian tube into the uterus, where it attaches to the uterine wall. The attachment site
provides nourishment to the rapidly developing fetus and becomes the placenta.

Baby's Development at 4 Weeks

After 4 weeks, the basic structures of the fetus have begun to develop into separate areas that
will form the head, chest, abdomen, and the organs that are contained within them. Small
buds on the surface will become arms and legs. A home pregnancy test should be positive at
this stage of development (most tests claim positive results one week after a missed period).

Baby's Development at 8 Weeks

At 8 weeks, the fetus is about one-half an inch long (1.1cm). Facial features such as
developing ears, eyelids, and nose tip are present. The limb buds are now clearly arms and
legs, while the fingers and toes are still developing.

Baby’s Development at 12 Weeks

At 12 weeks, the fetus has grown to about 2 inches (4.4cm) in length and may begin to move
by itself. The fingers and toes are discernible and the fetal heartbeat may be audible by
Doppler ultrasound. The developing sex organs may be identified by ultrasound techniques.

Baby's Development at 16 Weeks

At 16 weeks, the fetus is about 4 and one-half inches long and resembles an infant; the eyes
blink, the heartbeat is easier to locate, facial features (nose, mouth, chin and ears) are distinct,
and the fingers and toes are clearly developed; the skin on the fingers and toes even have
distinct patterns (fingerprints!). Women should be able to feel the uterus at about 3 inches
(6.6 cm) below the belly button; this is the beginning of the "baby bump" (abdominal
swelling due to an expanding uterus) in some women.

Baby's Development at 20 Weeks

At twenty weeks, the developing baby is about 6 inches long (13.2 cm) and may weigh about
10 ounces. The baby may begin to make movements that the mother can feel at about 19 to
21 weeks; this baby movement is termed "quickening". The baby at this stage of development
can move its facial muscles, yawn, and suck its thumb. The expanding uterus at 20 weeks is
felt at the level of the belly button.

It's Time for an Ultrasound

In the US, women that have prenatal care usually have an ultrasound done at 20 weeks to
determine that the placenta is attached normally and that the baby is developing without any
problems. The baby's movements can be seen with Doppler imaging, and usually the sex of
the baby can be determined at this time, so if you want to be surprised about the sex of your
baby at delivery, let your doctor know before the Doppler ultrasound is started!

Shown here is a 2D ultrasound (inset) contrasted with a 4D ultrasound, both at 20 weeks.

Baby's Development at 24 Weeks

At 24 weeks, the baby may weigh 1.4 pounds and can respond to sounds. Doppler studies
show the sound response by measuring movement and heartbeat rates. Sometimes the baby
will develop hiccups that the mother can feel! The baby's inner ear canals are developed at 24
weeks, so researchers speculate the baby can sense its position in the uterus.

Baby's Development at 28 Weeks

At 28 weeks, the baby normally weighs about 2 and one-half pounds and has developed to
the point that if the baby is birthed prematurely for any reason, the chances are good that the
infant will survive, but usually would require a hospital stay. Your doctor may discuss signs
of premature labor and suggest you (and your partner) take classes on what to do at the time
of delivery of your full-term baby.

Baby's Development at 32 Weeks

At 32 weeks, many babies weigh about 4 pounds, and have movements that the mother can
feel. Your doctor may ask you to make notes about the baby's movements and discuss
breastfeeding and other options along with scheduling visits every two weeks until you
deliver the baby. Some women begin to leak a yellowish fluid from their breasts around this
time; this is normal and the fluid is termed colostrum and indicates the breasts are primed to
start producing milk for the newborn baby.

Baby's Development at 36 Weeks

At 36 weeks the baby is about ready to be delivered and has reached an average length of
18.5 inches from head to heel length and weighs about 6 pounds. However, baby weight and
length are quite variable and are influenced by the baby's parental genetics, the baby's sex,
and many other factors. During this time, the baby has begun to rotate itself into the delivery
position of head first into the pelvis. At 37 weeks, the baby has completed development of all
organ systems to a level that should allow it to survive and continue its growth outside the
uterus without any close hospital monitoring that is usually done with premature babies;
consequently, the pregnancy is considered "at term" at 37 weeks and beyond.

Birth!

Delivery, due or birth date is calculated by estimating a 40 weeks delivery date, calculated
after the first day of the mother's last period. This is an estimated date; the normal vaginal
delivery birth can occur easily between 38 and about 42 weeks and is considered an early or
late term pregnancy. However, most babies are delivered before 42 weeks. Depending on
various circumstances and complications, the doctor may need to induce labor and delivery in
some women, while others may require a surgical delivery (Caesarean section or C-section).
For most people, especially first-time parents, birth of an infant is a life-changing event!