How does a baby breathe in the womb?

All women, being in a position, begin to be interested in the peculiarities of the development and growth of the fetus. Therefore, quite often a question arises as to how the baby breathes in the womb.

Features of fetal breathing

The fetus constantly makes respiratory movements. At the same time, the vocal cleft is tightly closed, which prevents amniotic fluid from entering the lungs. Pulmonary tissue is not yet mature, and it lacks a special substance called surfactant. It is formed only on week 34, i.e. shortly before the birth of the baby. This substance helps to ensure surface tension, which results in the opening of the alveoli. Only after that, the lungs begin to function, as in the adult.

In those cases when this substance is not produced, or the child appears before the due date, the baby is connected to the device of artificial ventilation of the lungs. the body itself is not yet able to perform its basic gas exchange function.

How does the gas exchange in the fetus?

Even in the first weeks of pregnancy, the placenta forms in the uterine wall. On the one hand, this body is intended for mutual exchange between mother and fetus with necessary substances, and on the other hand, it is an impenetrable barrier that prevents the mixing of biological fluids such as blood and lymph.

It is through the placenta that oxygen from the blood of the mother enters the fetus. Carbon dioxide formed as a result of gas exchange, passes the return path, returning to the mother's bloodstream.

Thus, the way the fetus breathes in the mother's womb is completely dependent on the condition of the placenta. Therefore, with the development of signs of oxygen deficiency in the fetus, first of all, this organ is subjected to examination, conducting its ultrasound.