The fetal nervous system — i. In fact, it's making big strides before you even know you're pregnant. Also at about week 5 of pregnancy, the neural plate folds onto itself to form the neural tube, which closes by about week 6 of pregnancy to eventually become the brain and spinal cord. By week 8, electrical activity begins in the brain — allowing your baby to coordinate his first spontaneous movements that doctors can even see on an ultrasound!
In fact, the cerebral cortex — which is responsible for voluntary actions, thinking and feeling — only starts to work around the end of pregnancy, with simple electrical activity detectable in regions associated with senses like touch and motor skills in premature babies. There are five different regions of the brain that develop, each responsible for different functions:. With the biology lesson out of the way, read on to find out how and when these various parts start developing.
A mere 16 days after conception, your fetus's neural plate forms think of it as the foundation of your baby's brain and spinal cord. It grows longer and folds onto itself, until that fold morphs into a groove and that groove turns into a tube — the neural tube. Once the neural tube closes at around week 6 of pregnancy, it curves and bulges into three sections, commonly known as the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Just to the rear of the hindbrain sits the part that will turn into your baby's spinal cord.
Soon, these areas bubble into those five different regions of the brain that we're most familiar with: the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. Of course, all of these fetal brain areas need more time to be fully up and running! At the same time, special neural cells form and move throughout the embryo to kickstart nerve development.
Your baby's nervous system is made up of millions upon millions of neurons. Each of these microscopic cells have itty-bitty branches coming off of them so that they can connect and communicate with each other. With this comes your baby's first synapses, which essentially means neurons can interact and create early fetal movements, like curling into the fetal position. Other movements follow quickly, with your fetus wiggling his developing limbs at around 8 weeks.
A human fetus does not have the capacity to experience pain until after viability. Rigorous scientific studies have found that the connections necessary to transmit signals from peripheral sensory nerves to the brain, as well as the brain structures necessary to process those signals, do not develop until at least 24 weeks of gestation.
In fact, the perception of pain requires more than just the mechanical transmission and reception of signals. The evidence shows that the neural circuitry necessary to distinguish touch from painful touch does not, in fact, develop until late in the third trimester. The occurrence of intrauterine fetal movement is not an indication that a fetus can feel pain.
Login Register Stay Curious Subscribe. Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news. Sign Up. Already a subscriber? Want more? More From Discover. Gaither points out that a fetus can begin to hear during the late second trimester, and a sleep pattern emerges as the brainwaves from the developing hypothalamus become more mature. By the end of the second trimester, Gaither says the fetal brain looks structurally much like the adult brain with the brain stem almost entirely developed.
The third trimester is full of rapid growth. In fact, as your baby continues to grow, so does the brain. The most notable part of the brain during this final trimester is the cerebellum — hence, the kicking, punching, wiggling, stretching, and all of the other movements your baby is performing. While it may feel like you have control over nothing for the next 9 months, you do have a say in the foods you eat.
Healthy brain development starts before pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , a healthy diet that includes folic acid, both from foods and dietary supplements, can promote a healthy nervous system. This may include anencephaly or spina bifida. Folic acid vitamin B9, specifically supports fetal brain and spinal development. Also important for fetal brain development are omega-3 fatty acids. Foods rich in omega 3-fatty acids include salmon, walnuts, and avocados.
The brain begins to form early in the first trimester and continues until you give birth.
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