amniotic fluid is absorbed by the fetal gut as the baby grows.
amniotic fluid is absorbed by the fetal gut as the baby grows.
where does the amniotic fluid go as the baby grows?
absorbed by the fetal gut
the fluid is absorbed through the fetal tissue and skin. after the 15th-25th week of pregnancy when the keratinization of an embryo's skin occurs, the fluid is primarily absorbed by the fetal gut.









































section::::development.:contents.









































at first, amniotic fluid is mainly water with electrolytes, but by about the 12-14th week the liquid also contains proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and phospholipids, and urea, all of which aid in the growth of the fetus.









































section::::development.:volume.
amniotic fluid
swallowed amniotic fluid (in later stages of development) creates urine and contributes to the formation of meconium. amniotic fluid protects the developing baby by cushioning against blows to the mother's abdomen, allowing for easier fetal movement and promoting muscular/skeletal development. amniotic fluid swallowed by the fetus helps in the formation of the gastrointestinal tract. contrary to popular belief, amniotic fluid has not been conclusively shown to be inhaled and exhaled by the fetus. in fact, studies from the 1970s show that in a healthy fetus, there is no inward flow of amniotic fluid into the airway. instead, lung development occurs as a result of the production of fetal lung fluid which expands the lungs. it also prevents the fetus from mechanical jerks and shocks. the fetus, which develops within a fluid-filled amniotic sac, relies on the placenta for respiratory gas exchange rather than the lungs. while not involved in fetal oxygenation, nevertheless have an important role in lung growth and in development of respiratory muscles and neural regulation. fbm are regulated differently in many respects than postnatal respiration, which results from the unique intrauterine environment...at birth, the transition to continuous postnatal respiration involves a fall in temperature, gaseous distention of the lungs, activation of the hering-breuer reflexes, and functional connectivity of afferent o2 chemoreceptor activity with respiratory motoneurons and arousal centers.
amniotic fluid