He starts out with nothing but two cells. Nine months later, he has fingers, toes, eyelashes — and an attitude. The transformation from an embryo to a fetus to a breathing, crying baby may be a human’s most amazing accomplishment. How much do you know about your growing baby? Take this short quiz to find out.
1. Your baby’s heart will start beating in the 6th week of pregnancy. How big is his heart at this age?
a. The size of a poppy seed
b. The size of a sunflower seed
c. The size of a pea
d. The size of a grape
2. All of your baby’s major organs will be in their final place before the 10th week of pregnancy. True or false?
True
False
3. When might your baby start sucking his thumb?
a. Week 11
b. Week 21
c. Week 31
d. After birth
4. At 24 weeks, your baby may be old enough to survive outside the womb. True or false?
True
False
5. Most babies keep their eyes closed tightly until they’re born. True or false?
True
False
6. When can your baby start storing memories?
a. The 20th week of pregnancy
b. The 30th week of pregnancy
c. The 35th week of pregnanc
d. Babies can’t store memories until after they are born
7. Which major organ is the last to fully develop?
a. Heart
b. Liver
c. Lungs
8. Babies are born with more than 70 natural reflexes. True or false?
True
False
Answers
1. Your baby’s heart will start beating in the 6th week of pregnancy. How big is his heart at this age?
The correct answer is: a. The size of a poppy seed
At six weeks, the heart has only one chamber. But after seven weeks, it has four chambers and beats about 150 times each minute — about as fast as your heart beats during a serious workout.
2. All of your baby’s major organs will be in their final place before the 10th week of pregnancy. True or false
The correct answer is: False
Your baby will have all of his major organs before 10 weeks, but they won’t be in the right place. Most notably, his intestines will still be outside of his body until about week 11.
3. When might your baby start sucking his thumb?
The correct answer is: a. Week 11
Your baby weighs less than one-third of an ounce at this age, but he may have already developed a taste for thumbs. (Ultrasounds of babies at this age occasionally catch them in the act.) Thumb-sucking will be one of his favorite hobbies for the next several months. It’s more than just a way to pass the time — sucking helps build up the muscles in his mouth that he’ll need for nursing.
4. At 24 weeks, your baby may be old enough to survive outside the womb. True or false?
The correct answer is: True
Your baby is still far from complete (he weighs barely more than 1 pound) but if born now, has about a 50 percent chance of surviving outside of the womb — with heroic medical help and a fair amount of luck. He’ll be far better off staying where he is for a few more months, though.
5. Most babies keep their eyes closed tightly until they’re born. True or false?
The correct answer is: False
Your baby will start opening his eyes after about the 24th week. His living quarters are pretty dark, but he can start to see dim shapes by about the 33rd week.
6. When can your baby start storing memories?
The correct answer is: b. The 30th week of pregnancy
After 30 weeks, your baby is really paying attention to the world around him. He notices and remembers sounds, especially voices and music. After he’s born, he’ll react strongly to the people and songs he heard in the womb.
7. Which major organ is the last to fully develop?
The correct answer is: c. Lungs
After 24 weeks, your baby will start building up his lungs by breathing amniotic fluid, but it will be a few months before his lungs are strong enough to give him the air he needs. His lungs probably won’t be fully mature until at least the 34th week of pregnancy. Some babies born at 34 or 35 weeks still need supplemental oxygen for a few days.
8. Babies are born with more than 70 natural reflexes. True or false?
The correct answer is: True
The minute he’s born, he can suck, cling, cry — the list goes on. He’s already an amazing person, and he’s just getting started.
References
American Academy of Family Physicians. Pregnancy Calendar.
Campbell, Stuart MD. Watch Me Grow. St. Martin’s Griffin 2004.
Children’s Hospital Boston. Child Health A to Z: Omphalocele. http://www.childrenshospital.org/
Mennella, Julie A. PhD, et al. Prenatal and Postnatal Flavor Learning by Human Infants. PEDIATRICS Vol. 107 No. 6 June 2001, p. e88. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/
The Merck Manual of Medical Information Second Home Edition Online. Physical Examination.
The Merck Manual of Medical Information Second Home Edition Online. Stages of Development.
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