The Sixth Month

Abstract

Abstract This chapter describes the development of the fetus in the sixth month of pregnancy. As the third and final trimester approaches, the author is distinctly aware of her pregnancy with her growing size and the fetus’s forceful and distinct movements. She describes the fetus’s kicking behavior and a variety of reflexes that are fully developed in the fetus by the sixth month of pregnancy, including rooting, sucking, and grasping. She goes on to discuss the appearance of newborn reflexes at birth and why these reflexes disappear in the first few months of life, using detailed research on the stepping reflex as an example. She concludes by discussing other important newborn screening tests, including the APGAR and PKU testing.