But the respiratory system is not finished developing. Alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs that enable the exchange of oxygen in our bodies. They will continue to develop after birth. By the time a child turns 8 years of age, they will have up to million. As the lungs grow, alveoli populate the new surface area of the lungs. This enables the lungs to support a growing human as they need increased amounts of oxygen. The bones of the rib cage encircle our vital organs.
As a baby grows, these bones will grow harder and the lungs will be more secure. This is an important part of respiratory development. The ribs will also rise in the chest to take an adult shape.
Sometimes a baby will involuntarily swallow or inhale parts of its first bowel movement during birth. This first bowel movement is called the meconium. Pneumonia and a condition called respiratory distress syndrome RDS can result. One way to avoid a premature birth is to pay careful attention to your diet and lifestyle choices during pregnancy.
The placenta seeps up oxygen molecules circulating in your blood and passes them along the umbilical cord to your baby. Outside of the womb, of course, things function very differently. The lungs distribute oxygen to the bloodstream when you breathe in and remove carbon dioxide from the bloodstream when you breathe out.
During birth, babies continue to fill their oxygen needs through the umbilical cord and placenta. When your baby is delivered , his lungs are still filled with amniotic fluid thanks to all of that practice breathing in utero which, by the way, stops when you go into labor. The fluid then begins to drain from his lungs and is replaced by oxygen, and the lungs begin to work all on their own just like yours.
By about week 28 of pregnancy, the lungs have developed enough that premature babies can breathe on their own — although the lungs and circulatory system still need some more time to mature. Around week 37, the lungs have developed more fully, and they'll keep on growing and fine-tuning until your little one is at least 8 years old.
The lungs will start on one particularly important job at around month 6 of pregnancy: making surfactant, which allows them to inflate and deflate. This substance and alveoli tiny air sacs at the end of airways continue to develop right up until your due date. Artificial surfactant can help babies born extremely preterm before 28 weeks , along with breathing assistance from a ventilator, CPAP machine or small breathing tubes placed in those teeny-tiny nostrils.
Some babies born before 36 weeks and most babies born before week 32 may also need some breathing support. Luckily, these medical advances and a stay in neonatal intensive care unit NICU can treat respiratory problems and greatly help even the teeniest preemies. Amniocentesis is a test that detects chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. A sample of amniotic fluid is taken from the amniotic sac. The test may…. How babies breathe in the womb.
Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Breathing in the womb During and after birth Water births Oxygen deprivation Developing babies need oxygen beginning early in pregnancy. How do babies breathe in the womb? Share on Pinterest The umbilical cord provides a baby with oxygen-rich blood in the womb. Breathing during and after birth. How water birth affects breathing. Oxygen deprivation as a birth injury. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Costs associated with obesity may account for 3.
Related Coverage. Your pregnancy at 20 weeks. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Your pregnancy at week FBM are regulated differently in many respects than postnatal respiration, which results from the unique intrauterine environment. Prominent distinctions of FBM include its episodic nature and apnea-sensitivity to hypoxia.
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