The nurse is creating a teaching poster for pregnant mothers. Which description of fetal development should the nurse include?

Question

1. Most organs are formed by 8 weeks after fertilization.
2. The embryonic stage is from fertilization until 5 months.
3. Four layers of cells form after the embryo is at the ball stage.
4. After fertilization, the cells only become larger for several weeks.

Answer 1

1
Explanation:
1. Most organs are formed during the embryonic stage, which lasts from the 15th day after fertilization until the end of the 8th week after fertilization. This is also a critical period because major organs are being developed and teratogens introduced during this time can increase the risk of congenital abnormalities.
2. The embryonic stage begins on the 15th day after fertilization and ends at the completion of the 8th week after fertilization.
3. Three primary germ layers form from the ball of undifferentiated cells, the blastocyst: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.
4. After fertilization, the cells reproduce by mitosis, resulting in more cells, not larger cells.