Fetal development in the 18th week of pregnancy

Actively developing in the womb, the crumb during its intrauterine development varies greatly. The second trimester is characterized by continued fetal development. A child at the age of 17-18 weeks has characteristic features of his intrauterine development by which it is possible to determine the degree of correctness of the formation of all organs.

Through nerve analyzers, the baby can learn about the outside world. For an independent life, the baby must have a well-developed hearing, vision, tactile and sensory sensations, as well as the ability to analyze different smells and tastes. By the 18th week of pregnancy, the child has very distinctive features in the work of the nerve analyzers, and therefore the first personal sensations.

Babies in the 18th week of pregnancy have the ability to distinguish between different shades of taste. This is largely due to the fact that the language already has special growths - the nipples. It is thanks to them that the child is able to distinguish between bitter, salty and sweet flavors. This recognition occurs when the amniotic fluid is swallowed. Experts note that the taste of this biological fluid is the most diverse. In many ways, the taste of amniotic fluid depends on the products consumed by a pregnant woman at this stage of pregnancy.

The ability to "distinguish" voices is another characteristic feature of this period of pregnancy. The development of the auditory analyzer contributes to the fact that the baby can recognize the voices of their parents. Also, kids can hear music.

Some scientists believe that mother’s voice has a very beneficial effect on the fetus. Such “conversations” with the mother, especially when she is in a good mood, help calm the baby.

Some experts believe that at this time you can already begin to shape the musical taste of the child. For this, a pregnant woman is advised to listen to pleasant music. An excellent choice would be classical or instrumental music.

The most important organ that coordinates the work of all the internal organs in the body is the brain. Its intensive development leads to the fact that the child’s behavior is complicated. So, the fetus has the first reflexes, which so far are exclusively unconditional.

The child can already “build” grimaces, smile, try to frown. Increases and motor activity of the baby. Gemini can actively explore each other.

Another vital organ is the heart. By the 18th week it was already formed. The heart of the baby is represented by 4 cameras, just like his mom and dad. The fetus is already showing cardiac activity, that is, the heart is actively beating.

An important indicator of heartbeat is the heart rate. This indicator can be measured in different ways.At this time, the number of heartbeats (HR) is measured not only by performing ultrasounds, but also by listening to heart sounds with a special obstetric device - a stethoscope.

For each period of pregnancy has its own heart rate. Normal fetal heart rate at week 18 is 140-160 beats per minute. It is important to note that in medical practice, small deviations from the given values ​​are often found. In some cases, this does not at all indicate the presence of any dangerous pathologies in the fetus. Significant reduction in heart rate below normal doctors call bradycardia. Too frequent heartbeat is called tachycardia and is also an unfavorable condition.

To assess the performance of the heart, specialists will certainly evaluate the heart rate over time. If the fetal heartbeat significantly deviates from the norm, this may be a sign of the development of hypoxic manifestations in it.

The fetus is actively developing and the circulatory network of blood vessels. The vascular reticulum is clearly visible through the thin and still quite transparent skin of the fetus. The diameter of the arteries and veins is still quite small.

By the 18th week of pregnancy, the skin thickness of the child changes, it no longer looks as transparent as before. Outside the skin of the child is covered with a special lubricant. It has a protective function and protects the baby from the adverse effects of the external environment.

Sweat and sebaceous glands take an active part in the formation of this particular original lubricant. They form a secret that is mixed on the surface of the skin with desquamated skin scales, forming a lubricant.

Under the skin of a baby, subcutaneous fat increases daily. This process is an extremely important preparation before the upcoming birth of a baby. A sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat is required to ensure that the child simply does not overcool after changing its habitat. Fat depot in the body performs a very important thermoregulatory function.

By the 18th week of pregnancy, various own hormones appear in the fetal bloodstream. This is due to the fact that some secretory organs have already begun to function. So, the child has already formed the pituitary gland. Under the direct influence of the thyroid gland, the formation of specific hormonal substances occurs.

Formed gonads also begin to form hormones. So, in boys, the concentration of testosterone begins to increase in the blood. Under its influence the further development of the internal genital organs takes place. At this stage of pregnancy, future parents can already know the sex of their baby.

The liver of the fetus begins to form bile, which enters the intestine. In the future, bile is necessary for the formation of original feces. A full digestion process will begin in a child much later - during the first feeding, but now this process is more developmental and necessary for the full development of the digestive system.

At the 18th week of pregnancy, intestinal peristalsis is already being performed in the fetus. Peristaltic movements occur with consistent contraction of the intestinal wall. This process is extremely important, as it is necessary for proper digestion.

The structure of the musculoskeletal system of the fetus at this stage of pregnancy is already quite complicated. Thus, the child's lower limbs become longer than the upper ones. This leads to a change in the proportions of the body.The kid every day gets more and more "human" appearance.

The density of small bones also changes. They are becoming less fragile. Calcium is very important for ensuring normal bone density. To meet the increased need for calcium, the expectant mother should eat more foods that contain it in their composition. An excellent choice will be fresh dairy products.

Intensive development of muscles contributes to the fact that the baby is actively manifested its first movements. If the baby is already large enough, then his mother may even feel the “movement” of her child in her stomach. Many women note that the first feelings of the movement of their babies, they first noted at 18-22 week of pregnancy.

Lung tissue is still forming. Finally, the lungs will form a little later. Also, only after a few more weeks, a special substance will appear in them - surfactant. It is necessary so that the lungs are able to fully deal with the baby’s first breath.

To evaluate how the baby grows, doctors can, using various clinical parameters. You can make this assessment with the help of the weight and height of the baby. You can measure the size of the child, as well as find out how much he weighs, using ultrasound. For each term of pregnancy there are certain norms.

The normal indicators of some ultrasound criteria for the fetus at the 18th week of gestation are shown in the table below.

It is possible to determine in which anatomical zone of the uterus the fetus, by means of ultrasound examination. With the help of ultrasound, you can determine the pelvic presentation of the fetus, when the baby is located with its pelvic end to the entrance to the pelvis of its mother. Such an arrangement is physiologically disadvantageous. When pelvic previa doctors carefully monitor the development of pregnancy and choose a caesarean section for obstetric aid, as a rule.

The face of the child during this period of his intrauterine life changes somewhat. So, the baby looks almost like a real little man, not an alien, but with some minor features.

The eyes of the fetus seem rather large. Outside they are closed eyelids. During the ultrasound, the baby seems to be sleeping, but this may not be the case.

Every day the proportions of the face change. The contours of the nose and chin become clearer and smoother. The ears of the baby are already formed, but so far are located fairly close to the neck.

On the head and on the body of the child there are small hairs. Also, there are already short cilia and eyebrows.

The child is able to open and close the mouth. The first unconscious emotions of the baby are usually visible during the ultrasound, unless, of course, the baby does not turn away from the ultrasound sensor during the examination. The overall proportions of the body of the fetus also vary. His body is drawn out, and the head no longer seems huge. Small fingers already have nails, and even a unique skin pattern is present. Thumbs in their length, as a rule, exceed the rest of the fingers and toes.

How the fetus develops in the 18th week of pregnancy, see the following video.