Child Birth

Child Birth

Human Reproduction

Multiple Choice

How long is gestation in a human?

• 28 days

• 9 weeks

• 9 months

• 18 months

Multiple Choice

An animal in the womb from 9 weeks since fertilisation until birth.

• Zygote

• Foetus

• Embryo

• Sperm

Multiple Choice

Where does fertilisation take place?

• Oviduct

• Ovary

• Uterus

• Vagina

Multiple Choice

Where does a baby develop?

• Vagina

• Oviduct

• Uterus

• Urethra

Multiple Select

What features of a sperm cell help it to swim the long distance to the egg?

• Tail

• Jelly coating

• Mitochondria

• Streamlined shape

• Large size

Learning Objectives

• Describing the role of the placenta

• Describing the process of childbirth

• Explaining problems that can occur during childbirth

Remember...

The egg cell is fertilised by the sperm cell in the oviduct

The fertilised egg moves down the oviduct and settles in the lining of the uterus

It is from here that the baby will start to grow

Open Ended

How do you think important nutrients pass from mother to baby? What kind of things does the baby need?

Do you think anything passes from baby to mother?

Placenta

The placenta forms as an outgrowth of the early embryo.

It has cells on the outside which allow it to sink into the inner lining of the mother’s uterus.

In humans, the placenta can reach 22 cm in width and it can be 2 to 2.5 cm in thickness.

Umbilical Cord

The placenta wears away the lining of the uterus. This means that the baby’s blood flows very close to the mother’s blood - but they do not mix!

The umbilical cord connects the placenta to the baby itself at the ‘belly button’, or navel. 

It reaches a length of about 20 cm and is about 2 cm thick.

It contains blood vessels that carry blood from the placenta to the baby.

Transferring Nutrients

The baby has a blood vessel that runs down the umbilical cord into the placenta.

Here it gets rid of unwanted substances and collects substances that it wants.

The placenta allows substances to be exchanged between the mother and baby. 

Multiple Choice

Where is the placenta found?

• Cervix

• Oviduct

• Vagina

• Uterus

Fill in the Blank

How is the placenta attached to the developing baby?

Multiple Choice

Where does the umbilical cord attach to the baby?

• Heart

• Nipple

• Belly button

• Brain

Open Ended

What is the definition of diffusion? Hint in the picture!

The movement of substances...

Diffusion

Diffusion is the movement of substances from a high concentration (where there is a lot of them) to a low concentration (where there is not a lot of them)

Multiple Select

Which of these substances moves from the baby's blood to the mother's blood?

• Oxygen

• Urea (waste)

• Carbon dioxide

• Antibodies

• Food

Multiple Choice

Which of these substances does NOT move from the mother's blood to the baby's blood?

• Food (nutrients)

• Oxygen

• Carbon dioxide

• Antibodies

Open Ended

What do you think happens when a mother is ready to give birth?

Pre-labour

The woman starts to feel regular contractions of the uterus.

A contraction is when the muscles of the uterus tighten to push the baby out

The cervix will start to open or dilate. 

Dilation

This starts when the cervix is about 3–4 cm dilated.

The uterus continues to contract, causing a sac around the baby to break, releasing amniotic fluid (known as a woman’s waters breaking). 

Birth

This stage begins when the cervix is fully dilated (about 10 cm wide).

The head of the baby is pushed out through the vaginal opening.

This is helped by the contractions of the uterus and the mother pushing. 

Delivery of the Placenta

This is the stage when the placenta is pushed out of the uterus and is called the ‘afterbirth’. 

Multiple Choice

How wide does the cervix have to be to start labour?

• 3cm

• 5cm

• 10cm

• 30cm

Fill in the Blank

What is the name for when the muscles of the uterus tighten to help push the baby out?

Multiple Choice

What part of the female reproductive system pass through to reach the outside?

• Ovary

• Vagina

• Belly Button

• Placenta

Multiple Choice

Which part of the baby should be born first?

• Feet

• Shoulders

• Arms

• Head

Multiple Choice

What is the afterbirth?

• When the cervix returns to normal size

• When the placenta comes away from the uterus and leaves the body

• When the umbilical cord is cut

• When the woman recovers after having a baby

Caesarian Section

Sometimes a baby cannot be born naturally through the vagina

These could be anything that makes it dangerous for the mother or baby to have a natural birth

eg. high blood pressure, slow labour, large baby, breech birth, exhausted mother etc.

Open Ended

What do you think happens if a baby is born before its full gestation period?

Premature Babies

If a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, it is called premature

It is possible for baby to survive if born at around 24 weeks of pregnancy!

Premature babies are very small and are often not fully developed so might need help breathing or getting nutrients

Incubators

Incubators can provide premature babies with the optimum temperature to help them grow.

They can also prevent infection from getting to the baby.

If the baby needs help breathing or feeding, these can be provided through tubes fed into the incubator.

Multiple Select

Which of these gestation periods would make a baby premature?

• 36 weeks

• 40 weeks

• 38 weeks

• 24 weeks

Multiple Choice

What gas passes from the baby to the mother in the placenta?

• Carbon dioxide

• Nitrogen

• Oxygen

• Carbon monoxide

Multiple Choice

What part of the female reproductive system is normally 2cm wide and holds the baby inside the woman?

• Cervix

• Oviduct

• Vagina

• Ovary

Fill in the Blank

During labour the muscles of the ________ contract and tighten

Open Ended

Any questions?