The word prenatal It is used to refer to the first stages of the development of living beings, this covers the entire process that takes place from the conception or fertilization of the new being, which occurs when the ovum and the sperm unite, until their growth and development culminate inside the mother's uterus giving way to labor or birth.
Prenatal development is studied by a branch of medicine known as embryologyFrom the point of view of its study, it consists of main stages, fertilization, the embryonic period and the fetal period.
Stages of the prenatal phase
The prenatal stage begins at the same moment in which the new being is formed, which occurs after the fertilization and it occurs inside the human body. After the union of the ovule and the sperm, the zygote is formed, which immediately begins a division process that gives rise to new cells, which causes it to progressively increase in size and manage to implant itself in the wall of the uterus to receive its nutrition through the mother's blood.
In the case of humans, from the second week of gestation the zygote is called an embryo. During the embryonic stage the various organs and systems are formed and developed. This stage extends from the second week after fertilization to the twelfth week, covering the first three months of pregnancy. The embryonic period is a particularly delicate phase since any exogenous substance, be it medicines, toxins, drugs, radiation, nutritional disorders and even the presence of virus, bacteria or parasites product of infections, are capable of affecting the development of the embryo producing malformations. congenital or even embryonic death that manifests itself in the form of an abortion.
Upon reaching 3 months of pregnancy, the embryo has fully formed and has a human form, and is called a fetus, thus entering the third and last phase of the prenatal period or fetal phase that runs from the 12th week to the end of the pregnancy that occurs between the 37th and 40th week. At this time the various organs of the fetus develop, mature and begin to function. Once the fetus is prepared to survive independently of the mother, birth occurs.
Prenatal control
Pregnancy is a critical stage in the development of the new being, for this reason there is a medical specialty called obstetrics which is in charge of monitoring or caring for the woman during the prenatal phase.
This care consists of monitoring the process of growth and development of the embryo and fetus as well as maternal health, in order to identify or prevent possible complications that may arise during pregnancy and that may affect both the mother and the mother. to the son.
Obstetrics places special emphasis on women who develop diseases during pregnancy, as well as those who had a disorder or chronic disease before pregnancy occurred, such as pregnant women who suffer from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, illnesses cardiovascular disease, epilepsy, diabetes or problems with some glands such as the thyroid. In these pregnancies it is necessary to carry out a good prenatal control since they constitute high-risk pregnancies, in which the decompensation of any of these maternal diseases will have serious consequences on the fetus and the mother.
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