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Prenatal development is the process through which a baby grows and develops inside the mother’s womb from conception until birth. This period is very important because it lays the foundation for the baby’s physical and psychological health. The prenatal period lasts about nine months, or approximately 270 to 280 days. It is divided into three main stages: Germinal, embryonic period and fetal.
3. Foetal stage
3.1. Behaviour of a fetus
Fetal behaviors that can be observed include:
• Responding to sounds with heart rate changes, head turns, and body movements as early as 25 weeks.
• Distinguishing between familiar and novel stimuli by 32nd or 33rd week.
• Learning in the womb, as evidenced by infants remembering stimuli like maternal heartbeats, amniotic fluid odor, and stories heard prenatally.
• Exhibiting individual differences in activity levels, with very active fetuses tending to become very active infants, and less active fetuses being more likely to have mental retardation.
• Male fetuses are more physically active overall due to being awake more often, but activity levels are equal during wakefulness. Female fetuses are more responsive to external stimuli.
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