This week your baby has made two important steps forward for it's survival after birth.
SurfactantA substance present in the lungs to help keep them inflated. Surfactant consists of certin lipoproteins that reduce the surface tension of the fluid in the lungs permitting gas exchange in the aveoli and contributing to the elasticity of the lung tissue. Premature babies often lack sufficient development of surfactant at birth to breathe without assistance.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. deposits in the lungs will help your baby breathe by preventing the lungs from collapsing. Additionally your baby now weighs more than 3lbs, a weight that helps the survivability of the baby rise from ninety percent (18 in 20) to ninety five percent (19 in 20).
The average human body contains eight pints of blood. But during your pregnancy your blood volume increases, and now as much as one pint of blood passes through the uterine wall helping to support your baby.
Your baby's ears are nearly mature. Your baby will be able to hear a range of sounds. It will probably be able to recognize your voice and the voices of relatives. It might even be able to differentiate pieces of music.
Your baby's lungs are developing a layer of epithelial cells that secrete surfactantA substance present in the lungs to help keep them inflated. Surfactant consists of certin lipoproteins that reduce the surface tension of the fluid in the lungs permitting gas exchange in the aveoli and contributing to the elasticity of the lung tissue. Premature babies often lack sufficient development of surfactant at birth to breathe without assistance.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions.. The amount of surfactant present in your baby's lungs can be determined by two tests: the lecithin-sphyngomyelin ratio and the phosphatidyl glycerol test. Lung maturity plays an important role in determining whether your baby is ready for birth.
You may notice that your baby is tired after you have eaten a big meal or in warm weather! As your baby gets heavier, and puts more pressure on your lungs you might find yourself breathless under moderate exertion.
Rest assured that your baby is receiving enough oxygen through the placentaThe placenta is a large disk shaped membrane responsible for providing nourishment to the fetus during pregnancy. It consists of three parts, the fetal part made up from the chorion membrane surrounding the fetus, the maternal part, formed from the decidua basalis layer of the uterine lining, and the intervillous space between the two plates. It is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord and consists of tissue from both the mother and the embryo.
Its function is complex. It has been described as a simple organ that combines the functions of a kidney-dialysis machine, heart and lung machine and intravenous drip. It consists of enormous numbers of blood vessel branches that permit the exchange of nutrition and oxygen, from the mother's bloodstream to the fetus and the removal of wastes to the mother to be excreted. The placenta's remarkable quality is that it does so without the blood of the mother mixing with that of the baby.
It also is responsible for the production of vital hormones including, estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. After birth, the placenta is delivered, and is sometimes referred to as the afterbirth.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., an amazing organ, which performs a number of extremely complex functions. Although they never mix, your blood and that of your baby exchange nutrients, water and waste across the placental barrier at a rate of about 18 fluid ounces per minute. From now until your baby is delivered your doctor will start looking for signs of preeclampsia and is measuring your blood pressure more frequently.
Your baby has increased its chances for survival if born this week. This is because the air sacs in its lungs are developing layer of epithelial cells. These cells secrete surfactantA substance present in the lungs to help keep them inflated. Surfactant consists of certin lipoproteins that reduce the surface tension of the fluid in the lungs permitting gas exchange in the aveoli and contributing to the elasticity of the lung tissue. Premature babies often lack sufficient development of surfactant at birth to breathe without assistance.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. that helps keep your baby's lungs inflated enabling it to breathe after birth without medical assistance.
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