Fetal development

1. Big picture

Fetal development means the stepwise transformation from a fertilized ovum into a viable newborn. For the OBGYN exam, this topic is not just embryology; it is the clinical basis of:

• pregnancy dating
• ultrasound interpretation
• congenital anomaly screening
• teratogen risk counselling
• fetal growth assessment
• fetal viability
• fetal surveillance
• timing of delivery

The examiner wants you to think in this order:

gestational age → developmental stage → vulnerable organs → correct investigation → fetal risk → management

Key oral-exam sentence:

Fetal development is divided into the pre-embryonic, embryonic, and fetal periods. The embryonic period is the m