Foetal Facts

• 6 Week – 4D Scan
• Formation of the skeleton begins
• Earliest point to detect a multiple pregnancy
• Neural tube closes, forming of brain and spinal cord begins
• Arms and legs appear from Limb buds
• Distinct heart forms into chambers
• Heartbeat around 100-115 beats per minute(bpm)

Foetal Facts

• 7 Week – 3D Baby Scan
• Ultrasound can identify evidence of ectopic or molar pregnancies
• Can begin to see development of umbilical cord
• Fast development of the hindbrain takes place
• Heart rate increases from 130 to 160 bpm

Foetal Facts

• 8 Week – 4D Pregnancy Scan
• Expansion of the ventricular system of the brain
• Vertebrae and ribs start to grow
• Eyelids, tip of nose, upper lip visible, and ears develop
• Aortic and pulmonary valves present in heart, separate left and right chambers
• Slightly webbed fingers and toes begin to develop
• Heartbeat is around 144-159 bpm

Foetal Facts

• 9 Week – 3D Foetal Ultrasound Scan
• Embryo officially becomes a foetus
• Hands able to flex at the wrist
• Elbows form
• Eyelids cover eyes
• Ears start to take definite shape
• Visible fingers and toes
• Stomach visible

Foetal Facts

• 10 Week – 4D Pregnancy Scan
• Head is clearly divided from the body by neck
• Genitals begin to form, but still too early to determine gender
• Most of joints developed, arms bend at elbow
• Eyelids fuse shut to keep out amniotic fluid
• Upper lip forms
• Intestines begin to move to abdominal cavity
• Some abdominal wall defects detectable through ultrasound
• Placenta visible on ultrasound

Foetal Facts

• Clear outline of spine visible
• Ears in place
• Movement of body, arms and legs seen on ultrasound
• Many major central nervous system defects can be identified through ultrasound
• Heartbeat around 137-144 bpm

Foetal Facts

• 12 Week – 4D Scan
• Circulatory and digestive systems, pancreas, and liver begin early functions
• Can open mouth
• Starts to wiggle fingers
• Corpus callosum – the section of the brain connecting the left and right hemispheres -develops
• Possible diagnosis of abdominal wall defects such as gastroschisis and Exomphalos

Foetal Facts

• 13 Week – 3D Foetal Scan
• Head is approximately 1/2 size of body (will be 1/4 by birth)
• Ultrasound can be used to measure nuchal translucency (thickened section of skin on the back of the neck), evaluate nasal bone and aid in diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities
• Earliest diagnosis of limb deformities, such as clubfoot
• Foetal organs such as gallbladder and urinary bladder images and first foetal urine produced

Foetal Facts

• 14 Week – 4D Pregnancy Ultrasound Scan
• Foetus has tiny, functional hands and can make a fist
• Neck grows longer and foetus no longer has to rest chin on chest
• Diagnosis of central nervous system anomalies with vaginal or abdominal scan
• Nuchal translucencies can be measures from 11-14 weeks, and any abnormality in size will lead to further testing

Foetal Facts

• 15 Week – 3D Pregnancy Scan
• Intestinal tract continues development
• Ability to suck helps develop cheek and jaw
• Evaluation of upper lip and anterior palate for possible cleft

Foetal Facts

• 16 week – 4D Baby Scan
• Foetal spine visible and ultrasound is able to detect neural tube defects
• Facial expressions like smiles visible
• Foetus urinates in amniotic fluid, then starts swallowing amniotic fluid, which demonstrates kidney function
• Motions, like kicking, increases

Foetal Facts

• 17 Week – 3D Scan
• Layers of fat start filling out the body
• Eyes more forward on face than previous weeks
• Ears start to protrude from head
• Gender determination usually accurate
• Distal spine ossifies; neural tube defects in distal spine diagnosable

Foetal Facts

• 18 Week – 4D Foetal Ultrasound
• Bones begin to harden from cartilage
• Yawning, sucking, hiccupping, and making faces all start
• Ears in final position
• Routine ultrasound scan at 18-20 weeks to diagnose congenital malformations, exclude multiple pregnancies, verify birth dates and growth, confirm sex of the foetus, perform an anatomical survey, and analyse maternal well-being

Foetal Facts

• 19 Week – 3D Pregnancy Scan
• Arms and legs in proportion
• Diagnosis of cervical incompetence by ultrasound
• Craniocervical junction seen (at base of skull)

Foetal Facts

• 20 Week – 4D Baby Scan
• Genitals fully formed
• Strong, rapid heartbeat
• Practices breathing by moving chest up and down intermittently
• Tooth buds noted
• Many malformations in the brain can be diagnosed accurately by this time
• Diagnosis of lung masses

Foetal Facts

• 21 Week – 3D Pregnancy Scan
• Continued and rapid development of the brain
• Hiccups start (jerky motions of lungs practicing breathing)
• Partial ossification of the laminae in the thoracic vertebrae seen
• Many skeletal dysplasia’s can be visualised if present

Foetal Facts

• 22 Week – 4D Scan
• Distinct lips form
• Pancreas develops
• Salivary glands formed
• Gastric outlet obstruction (associated with enlarged stomach and polyhydramnios) found sonographically

Foetal Facts

• 23 Week – 3D Scan
• Foetus starts actively moving and flexing its newly developed muscular system
• Kicking and rolling increases
• Foetus can hear and is especially sensitive to loud noises
• Lumbar region and ossification

Foetal Facts

• 24 Week – 4D Foetal Scan
• Foetus starts to run out of room to roll, begins kicking more
• Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) can be evaluated by comparing current and previous measurements for suspected growth restrictions
• Foetus can be assessed for macrosomia, or growth beyond a specific weight (usually 4000-4500 grams)