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When conception happens, we often have no idea what is going on inside the body of the woman who has just become pregnant. We have no idea of the changes, the transformations, the formation of a new life that is in full swing! As soon as the positive appears, be sure that a lot has already happened inside the uterus in terms of the formation of the fetus, and the neural tube is one of the main changes and events of pregnancy and the formation of the baby even in the early days of conception. It is from this small neural tube that everything begins. Shall we understand?
How It All Begins
From the encounter of male and female gametes, egg and sperm, the multiplication of cells begins and there, the baby’s formation and the whole structure that involves pregnancy. The zygote, when it reaches the uterus, because the conception happens in the tubes, is divided in two parts.
With approximately 2 weeks of pregnancy, after implantation of the embryo in the uterus (counting from conception and not by the date of the last menstruation ), the neural tube begins to take shape. Cell multiplication forms what will be the baby’s head, brain, marrow, spinal column. As the days progress, the tube gets more and more elongated and with the appearance of a cluster of cells, determines the baby’s health even at this stage.
What Exactly is the Neural Tube?
The neural tube is the foundation of everything. Without it there is no baby and with a badly structured foundation, the baby does not form healthily, in fact the vast majority of malformations happen at this stage. The neural tube is responsible for the entire central nervous system, brain and heart.
It forms from the outside in, that is, it starts from an external wall and closes at the end of the formation in a way where small scars will remain along the fetal development, groove below the nose and buttocks. The appearance of the neural tube is similar to that of a Chinese fortune cookie and will change as development proceeds.
The top will be the head, the middle the trunk and the end, where there is the closure, the buttocks and legs. At this beginning, it is possible to identify where the baby’s head and butt will be . The important thing to know is that after 22 days of fertilization, the baby has a very advanced design of its spine, brain, neurons and internal organs that are still small primary cells clustered without form.
Explanatory video:
With 27 days of fertilization, the baby already has its spine formed, from the cervical to the coccyx. It is possible to identify what appears to be a vestigial tail, but soon it will no longer be visible. The head in this phase is quite identifiable, and even, being very similar with the formation of other mammals, human characteristics will start to stand out from now on.
At 5 weeks of gestation, the baby already has its heart in formation, the eye, ear, mouth cavity and nostrils.
The Importance of the Neural Tube and Baby’s Health
The correct formation of the baby’s neural tube is fundamental for his intrauterine health , but mainly, for the rest of his lives. If something goes wrong at some point in the development, the baby may be born with malformation of several aspects. Be badly cranial closure:
Anencephaly or encephalocele : absence of closure of the top of the skull, above the eyes. This malformation can also bring problems of a neurological nature.
Hydrocephalus : accumulation of fluid between the brain and the skull, this problem will cause abnormal growth of the skullcap.
Or even in the column where problems such as:
Spina bifida meningocele or meningo-myelocele: all due to bad or not total closure of the lower part of the neural tube. Some other problems can also happen, such as paralysis of the lower body.
How to Prevent Neural Tube Malformation?
Fortunately, there is a way to prevent a problem in the malformation of the neural tube. Intake of common vitamins like folic acid will make a total difference. Folic acid acts on the maternal organism collaborating to manufacture enzymes (hemoglobin molecules) that enhance good fetal formation.
In addition, it enhances the production of red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body. But to have the benefits of folic acid in the body and in the proper formation of the baby’s neural tube, it is necessary to start the intake at least 3 months before becoming pregnant.
Since folic acid is not a medication, it can be taken for a long time without risking side effects or drug interactions. The ideal is to ingest at least 0.5 mg of folic acid daily or L-Methylfolate (gravipur) which is the folic acid already transformed into the enzyme absorbed by the body.
See also: Surgery on the Baby in the Uterus
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
