Development of a 22-week-old fetus

The article was consulted professionally by Master, Dr. Ly Thi Thanh Nha – Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Share99 Da Nang International Health Hub.

The 22-week-old fetal period is when the mother will find her body more rounded than ever with a rapidly increasing weight. This is absolutely normal for the mother's body to be full of nutrients to help the fetus grow healthy.

Entering the 22ndweek of gestation, the baby has been growing rapidly as well as gradually perfecting all the authorities inside her body. At this time, the fetal weight at 22 weeks of age will be 430g and be about 26.7cm in size (from head to toe), which is equivalent to the size of a small pumpkin.

The 22-week-old baby has officially obtained the shape of a miniature newborn, i.e. the baby has completed most of the necessary muscles and parts and in the last 3 months of pregnancy the baby will develop even more quickly in preparation for birth. At this time, the baby's limbs are stronger, so the punching, twisting, turning moves are all using force, so she fully feels the baby moving right in her belly.

The 22-week-old fetus begins to improve and becomes more sensitive than ever, especially hearing because the baby can now clearly hear the sounds outside the womb. The baby's skin has changed compared to the previous weeks of pregnancy, no longer transparent because the fat in the baby's body is gathering under the skin to form fat layers.

The sex of the fetus at 22 weeks of age was clearly determined. Although the testicles and ovaries of the fetus were formed at the time of pregnancy in the first 3 months, because the external genitalia are still difficult to observe because the pregnancy is small, it is not until the 22nd week of pregnancy that it can be determined correctly.

The mother's weight will continue to increase rapidly when the fetus is 22 weeks old. However, mothers need to control weight to the extent allowed, avoiding overweight obesity that affects the health of both mother and baby.

Regular swallowing of saliva is a rather special phenomenon that the mother encounters during pregnancy at the 22nd week. This is a very normal condition so you don't need to worry, accept and fix them by sucking on mint candy, chewing gum and having paper towels ready.

The stretch marks on the abdomen, hips, thighs begin to thicken as the baby grows, causing the mother to feel depressed. However, forget about those feelings and overcome them by applying mother's lotion.

An ultrasound of a 22-week-old fetus is one of the very important milestones as it is a time to help survey and detect birth defects early in a child. During this ultrasound, the doctor will prescribe the mother to perform 3D ultrasound or 4D ultrasound to be able to better see the development of the fetus in order to easily detect malformations if any.

Usually, when the pregnancy ultrasound is 22 weeks old will include the following basic indicators:

• First, the doctor will measure the basic indicators to estimate the fetal weight such as: circumference of the head ring, diameter of the head ring, circumference of the abdominal ring, length of the femur
• Check all organs from head to toe of the baby including brain, face, heart, organs, backbone, hands, legs to find if there are abnormalities
• Observe your baby's face to see if there are enough parts and if they develop in the right direction.

From these indicators, the doctor will make a comment and know if the baby has congenital malformations such as heart disease, Down's disease, cleft palate, cleft lip or quadriplegic malformations … or not so that there is a timely and appropriate solution.

Mothers need to control the amount of sweets loaded into their bodies to prevent themselves from gestational diabetes. Because this is a fairly dangerous disease that can cause the fetus to have a higher incidence of congenital allergies

Continue to maintain the exercise routine during pregnancy, do not because of fatigue but ignore the mother, because gentle movement will help the mother's birth process more smoothly.

Mother should switch to the position lying on her left side during this time, as the enlarged abdomen is no longer suitable for lying on her back. In addition, this lying position also helps the mother relieve back pain and sleep better.

At the 22nd week of pregnancy, the mother not only pays attention to the developmental indicators of the fetus, but it is necessary to perform a 4D fetal ultrasound that diagnoses birth defects. Choosing the address of maternity care and pregnancy ultrasound to diagnose fetal malformations early and accurately is of great importance. The ultrasound of the fetus at the right time, periodically to detect fetal malformations is very important, so that appropriate monitoring and handling measures are taken. The effectiveness of ultrasound methods of diagnosing fetal malformations depends a lot on the doctor's level, modern equipment.

Share99 International Health Hub is a high-quality medical facility that is highly appreciated by customers for the quality of examination and treatment as well as professional services. Share99 has the most modern equipment system, with the most advanced ultrasound machines in the world and a team of obstetricians experienced in diagnosis and pre-birth intervention to help monitor obstetrics well and detect fetal malformations early.

In addition, to protect the health of mothers and babies comprehensively, Share99 provides a variety of package maternity services. With this package, pregnant women will receive regular pregnancy examinations with specialists, especially thyroid screening tests for mothers in the first 3 months, Rubella tests. Perform pre-birth, post-birth screening tests for babies. During pregnancy, if the pregnant woman has any health abnormalities, she will be treated by doctors with specialists. After each visit, doctors will analyze the results of ultrasound, tests and advice on how to take care of health, nutrition, rest suitable for each pregnant woman, help the mother healthy, the fetus develops well, evenly the indicators.

If you want to use maternity services at Share99, please register directly at the website to be served.