For normal intrauterine development, a child needs a large amount of various nutrients and constant access to oxygen. But contact with the outside world in the fetus is completely excluded, since it is inside the mother's body and is entirely dependent on her. Oxygenation of the unborn baby is a rather complex and unique process.
Instructions
Step 1
The fetus inside the mother is constantly breathing, starting from the second trimester of pregnancy. At the same time, his glottis is tightly closed to avoid the ingress of amniotic fluid into the underdeveloped unopened lungs. Imitation of breathing movements during this period is nothing more than training the pectoral muscles to work on providing the baby with oxygen immediately after birth.
Step 2
The baby is not able to use his lungs before giving birth, since they open only at the moment of his first cry. In children born prematurely, serious breathing problems may be observed, since a special substance - a surfactant, which provides the opening and surface tension of the lung tissue, begins to be produced by the fetus only at 34 weeks of gestation. There are special drugs that accelerate the synthesis of this substance, as well as an artificial surfactant, but it only helps premature babies survive without affecting intrauterine respiration.
Step 3
Since the lungs do not participate in the intrauterine breathing of the child, it means that he breathes in a completely different way. Already in the first weeks of pregnancy, a completely unique organ develops - the placenta, which is able to provide the fetus with everything necessary for life, including oxygen. It is through the placenta that oxygen flows from the mother's circulatory system into the blood of her baby. In fact, a pregnant woman breathes for two; it is her lungs that saturate both organisms with air.
Step 4
The placenta is designed in such a way that it maintains a comfortable existence for the baby even when the mother's oxygen consumption is limited for any reason. That is why pregnant women are more prone to fainting due to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain. In stuffy or smoky rooms, there is much less oxygen in the air, but the breathing volume remains the same, and in order to provide the baby, the placenta takes oxygen to the detriment of the mother.
