Fetus Vs. Baby.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Maria Marquez

English 101

Essay #2

Fetus Vs. Baby

In “Fetal Psychology,” Janet Hopson describes seven fetal developments during the three trimesters of pregnancy, which indicate that the fetus is a growing baby still in the womb. The developments include: alertness, movement, taste, vision, hearing, learning and personality. Scientists believe that all babies develop these senses at different times during pregnancy. Hopson asks, “Is birth the beginning of it all, the moment where life begins?”(96). Learning and understanding the different developments of the fetus can help doctors and new parents learn more about the child when he or she is born. Applying the “Habits of Mind” created by Deborah Meier to an article can help you understand the reading thoroughly and take into consideration your own opinion of the reading.

One of the “Habits of Mind” is evidence; this answers the question: how do I know what I know? Janet Hopson knows what she knows because she is a researcher and has a master’s degree from the University of Missouri. She is a writer for Science News in various magazines, such as Outside, Mother Jones, Outside/Mariah, Smithsonian, Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, and Rolling Stone. She has contributed to the Encyclopedia Americana, the Encyclopedia International and newspapers. She has received a Science-writer-in-fellowship from the National Institutes of Health. I know what I know about pregnancies through experiences of my own and through family and friends. I have had two children, my son is six and my daughter is two months old. I have read many books on development of a baby and many books on nutrition for the mother and baby as well. By going to the doctor every month until you are six months pregnant, then every two weeks until you are eight months and then every week until the baby is born; you learn a great deal about the baby and about caring for yourself.

Another “Habit of Mind” is supposition; this answers the question: what if things were different? Hopson tells us,

Armed with highly sensitive and sophisticated monitoring gear, DiPietro and other researchers today are discovering that the real action starts weeks earlier. At 32 weeks of gestation- two months before a baby is considered fully prepared for the world, a fetus is acting almost exactly as a newborn. (97)

What if we did not have any technology to look into the world of a fetus, the womb? We would not know how the fetus grows in the womb. We would ...

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Another “Habit of Mind” is supposition; this answers the question: what if things were different? Hopson tells us,

What if we did not have any technology to look into the world of a fetus, the womb? We would not know how the fetus grows in the womb. We would not have any idea how and at what stages the fetus develops. We would not know that the fetus is a very small baby not yet born. We would not have any knowledge of any problems that can occur during a pregnancy. We would not be able to give ultrasounds to determine any problems the fetus might have, the precise date of birth, the sex, or multiple fetuses. I am thankful we do have the technology we have today. My sister was born with a congenital heart defect, and her pregnancy was considered high risk. With all the latest monitoring gear, she was able to learn of any problems early on in her pregnancy. Is all this monitoring really doing the fetus good or is it disrupting the development? Hopson states, “ Sensory stimulation of the fetus can in fact lead to bizarre patterns of adaptation later on”(97). It is true that a fetus sleeps about 90 to 95% of the time till about 32 weeks and 80 to 85% closer to birth. I think that the monitoring is helping out the baby. This technology is giving the babies better survival rated and a long life. Both of my pregnancies went well, given ultrasounds to see how big the fetuses were determined the due date and we took a closer look at the hearts due to my sister’s heart problem. Everything went well with both of my children.

The last “Habit of Mind” I am going to talk about is relevance; this answers the question: why is this important? Hopson states,

Human behavior begins to develop early just weeks after conception. By week five the brain of a fetus is already forming, soon it will allow the fetus to move, think, plan, and create in a human way. At week ten, it can move its arms, “breathes” amniotic fluid in and out, opens its jaw, and stretches. (97)

The fetus is already acting like a newborn at ten weeks in the womb. It is important for the parents to learn as much as they can about the fetus because they can help it grow as much as possible before it is born. The more time the fetus spends inside the womb, the better the chance is outside the womb. At 36 weeks, the fetus is ready to be born and would have a very good chance of living. It is also important for the mother to learn all about her pregnancy to stay healthy. The fetus takes whatever it may need from the mother to grow. If the mother isn’t very healthy, she can get sick and weak from the baby. It is important for the mother to have a very good diet while she is pregnant. The more books and articles there is on fetal development, the more people can get information on it. The less risks there is to a pregnancy, the healthier the baby and the mother will be. This article was important to because I was pregnant all summer. The one thing I didn’t know was that the fetus might be able to taste. Hopson states, ”Whether fetuses can taste these flavors isn’t yet known…”(99). The more information that a fetus is just a tiny newborn waiting to be born, maybe this will eliminate abortion choices.

Critical thinking is a very important skill to learn because this helps you take an article into sections using the “Habits of Mind” questions. By using your critical thinking skill and the “Habits of Mind,” you will understand the article in great detail. Critical thinking helped me to get into the article, not just reading it, but thinking of my own opinions. Applying the “Habits of Mind” to this article was hard for me. I had think about it a lot. I knew some about what I had read, but to apply this to the reading was a challenge. I have never done that before.