When does the fetal heart develop completely? What are the signs of poor fetal heart function?

The heart is the most important part of the human body, and women will pay special attention to the physical development of the fetus during pregnancy. The fetal heart has a certain development process, and if there is any problem during the fetal development process, the pregnant mother can also feel it.

The fetal heart is fully developed at 18 weeks of pregnancy. In the 7th week of normal embryogenesis, the embryo bud and primitive heart tube begin to beat, which means that the heart begins to develop from the 7th week of menopause, and then gradually goes through the development process of elongation, twisting, rotation, and separation. By the 8th week of pregnancy, the normal heart and blood vessel structure is formed, the relationship between the heart and arteries can be shown at the 10th week, the ultrasound can identify the four heart chambers of the fetus at the 14th week, and a clear image of the heart structure can be obtained at the 18th week, and the heart is fully developed.

Generally, if the fetus has heart disease, the pregnant woman will not feel anything unusual, but it can be discovered through various examinations. If the fetal heart is not well developed, when listening to the fetal heart or doing fetal heart monitoring during pregnancy, it will be found that the fetal heartbeat is too fast or too slow, the rhythm is irregular, etc. When doing fetal heart ultrasound examination, it may be found that the fetal heart has structural abnormalities.

The period before 17 weeks of pregnancy is a critical period for fetal heart development, and the period before 12 weeks of pregnancy is the most important. The period before 12 weeks of pregnancy is a critical period for heart development. If the heart is infected by chemical substances, viruses, etc. at this time, it will affect the development of the heart and is most likely to develop congenital heart disease.

It depends on the situation. If it is just a minor abnormality, such as a small atrial septal defect or a small ventricular septal defect, the pregnancy can be continued, and the fetus can be cured by surgery after birth. However, if the fetus has a more serious heart problem, such as tetralogy of Fallot, severe defects, etc., such a fetus is prone to miscarriage or premature birth during pregnancy. Even if it is successfully born, the survival rate is very low, and the cost of treatment after birth is high. Therefore, termination of pregnancy is generally recommended.