Fetal Health and Development Summary A normal pregnancy lasts nine months. Each three-month period of pregnancy is called a trimester. During each trimester, the fetus grows and develops. There are specific prenatal tests to monitor both the mother’s health and fetal health during each trimester. With modern technology, health professionals can Detect birth defects Identify problems that may affect childbirth Correct some kinds of fetal problems before the baby is born National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Fetal Development National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Fetal Diseases National Institutes of Health Specifics Detecting Kidney and Urinary Tract Abnormalities Before Birth National Kidney Foundation Detection of a Heart Defect in the Fetus American Heart Association Fetal Circulation American Heart Association Fetal Conditions, Abnormalities and Diagnoses Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Fetal Heart Texas Heart Institute Fundal Height: An Accurate Indicator of Fetal Growth? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Hydrops Fetalis/Erythroblastosis Fetalis Children’s Hospital and Health System, Wisconsin Intrauterine Growth Restriction American Academy of Family Physicians Array Fetal development Intrauterine growth restriction Encyclopedia Fetal echocardiography Hydrops fetalis Diagnosis and Tests Fetal Echocardiography/Your Unborn Baby’s Heart American Heart Association MedlinePlus: Prenatal Testing National Library of Medicine Special Tests for Monitoring Fetal Health American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Start Here How Your Baby Grows March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Prenatal Development: How Your Baby Grows During Pregnancy American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Stages of Pregnancy Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Your Baby’s Development: The First Trimester American Academy of Family Physicians Your Baby’s Development: The Second Trimester American Academy of Family Physicians Your Baby’s Development: The Third Trimester American Academy of Family Physicians Related Issues Information for Moms-to-Be about the New Full-Term Pregnancy Definition National Institute of Child Health and Human Development What Are the Risks of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia to the Fetus? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Find an Expert March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Treatments and Therapies Prenatal Surgery: Helping Babies Before Birth Nemours Foundation Journal Articles Fetal Health and Development Statistics and Research Surgery on Fetus Reduces Complications of Spina Bifida National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Latest News Smoking During Pregnancy Seems to Alter Fetal DNA, Study Finds HealthDay Hormone Exposure in Womb May Boost Later Type 2 Diabetes Risk HealthDay Mom’s Obesity, Diabetes May Spur Fetus to Grow Too Fast HealthDay