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The sixth month of pregnancy covers weeks 22 to 26. Details of the baby's growth and development during each of these weeks appear below.
Week 22
At 22 weeks, the fetus’s senses, including its tastebuds, continue to develop. Brain and nerve endings can now process touch [1].
The eyebrows and scalp contain visible hair [2]. Adipose tissue, or brown fat, continues forming. This unique type of fat produces heat [2].
At this point, the fetus’s biological rhythm is synchronized with the day-night cycle [3].
In girls, the vaginal canal has formed, and the ovaries are in place [1].
Week 23
At 23 weeks, the fetus’s skin appears translucent and wrinkled [2]. Capillaries carrying blood are visible through the thin skin, giving the fetus a reddish or pinkish appearance [2].
In preparation for birth, the lungs begin producing surfactant [1]. Surfactant will line the forthcoming alveoli (air sacs in the lungs), helping the lungs to inflate and deflate properly.
Rapid eye movements start [2,4].
Week 24
At 24 weeks, the fetus’s eyelids are now separated and resemble their final shape [4]. Loud noises may startle the fetus, causing it to blink its eyes in a blink-startle response [2].
With the inner ear now developed, the fetus has a sense of balance [1]. The fetus can notice smells in the amniotic fluid [5].
Development of the respiratory and central nervous systems is incomplete, making it challenging for babies born at this time [2].
Week 25
At 25 weeks, fetal brain development is ongoing. The earliest forms of brain connectivity and the creation of neural networks will start shaping the fetus’s nervous system [6]. Eye movements are increasing [7].
In boys, the testes will start descending from the abdomen to the scrotum over the coming weeks [10].
Week 26
At 26 weeks, the fetus’s fingernails are fully developed [2]. Fingerprints and footprints are fully formed [1]. As the fetus gains weight and puts on fat, its skin becomes less wrinkly [1].
The fetus increasingly responds to stimuli by moving its body [11]. The fetus may become accustomed to repeated stimuli, indicating an early form of learning and a functioning central nervous system [12].
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References:
1. Harms R, Wick M, editors. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. Boston: Da Capo Press; 2011.
2. Moore KL, Persaud TVN, Torchia MG. The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2016.
3. de Vries JI, Visser GH, Mulder EJ, Prechtl HF. Diurnal and other variations in fetal movement and heart rate patterns at 20-22 weeks. Early Hum Dev. 1987;15: 333–348.
4. Tawfik HA, Abdulhafez MH, Fouad YA, Dutton JJ. Embryologic and Fetal Development of the Human Eyelid. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;32: 407–414.
5. Johnson EW, Eller PM, Jafek BW. Distribution of OMP-, PGP 9.5- and CaBP-like immunoreactive chemoreceptor neurons in the developing human olfactory epithelium. Anat Embryol. 1995;191: 311–317.
6. Smyser CD, Inder TE, Shimony JS, Hill JE, Degnan AJ, Snyder AZ, et al. Longitudinal analysis of neural network development in preterm infants. Cereb Cortex. 2010;20: 2852–2862.
7. Okawa H, Morokuma S, Maehara K, Arata A, Ohmura Y, Horinouchi T, et al. Eye movement activity in normal human fetuses between 24 and 39 weeks of gestation. PLoS One. 2017;12: e0178722.
8. Serra V, Bellver J, Moulden M, Redman CWG. Computerized analysis of normal fetal heart rate pattern throughout gestation. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2009;34: 74–79.
9. Spodick DH. Normal sinus heart rate: appropriate rate thresholds for sinus tachycardia and bradycardia. South Med J. 1996;89: 666–667.
10. Nemec SF, Nemec U, Weber M, Kasprian G, Brugger PC, Krestan CR, et al. Male sexual development in utero: testicular descent on prenatal magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2011;38: 688–694.
11. Borsani E, Della Vedova AM, Rezzani R, Rodella LF, Cristini C. Correlation between human nervous system development and acquisition of fetal skills: An overview. Brain Dev. 2019;41: 225–233.
12. Leader LR, Baillie P, Martin B, Vermeulen E. The assessment and significance of habituation to a repeated stimulus by the human fetus. Early Hum Dev. 1982;7: 211–219.
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Produced and written by: Samantha Lattof, PhD MSc
Medically reviewed by: Ayodeji Olelakan Abere, MD MBA MHA
Animation by: SciePro/Pond5
Music from: Envato Elements
Narration by: Ava/Wellsaid
