Pregnancy And Baby Care Articles Fetal Development

...of gestation, the little baby has already crossed the formative stage and is now rapidly developing and putting on weight. At 24 weeks, the baby weighs close to a pound and a quarter and is almost a foot in height. Maximum weight gain takes place in the latter half of the pregnancy term owing to the development of muscle, organs and bone mass. The baby will continue to put on weight for the next three months and the baby looks increasingly like a newborn. The taste buds begin to develop and the baby can now taste what the mother consumes. With increased brain development and muscle coordination, the baby also responds to different tastes through facial expressions. The palm gradually begins to develop creases. With improved muscle coordination the baby begins to kick a lot more and becomes very active. In addition, the baby turns from side to side. Some movements also resemble a somersault. The movements are more prominent at this stage than earlier as the baby has now filled the uterus. The sucking of the thumb also becomes more obvious. The eyelids and eyebrows are clearly visible in sonograms. The pigment responsible for giving the skin its natural color is also forming.

The lungs begin to develop further. Surfactant is produced in the baby’s body. Surfactant is essential as it assists in the inflation of the air sacs in the lungs and prevents them from collapsing. The little baby begins to breathe in amniotic fluid. With fetal development at week 24, the baby’s body is covered with fine hair called lanugo hair. A thin whitish layer of a fatty substance also covers the baby so as to protect it from the ill effects of being constantly immersed in amniotic fluid. This layer also assists in passage through the birth canal at the time of delivery.

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