Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
14:19

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Published on: June 29, 2013

Human embryonic growth trajectories and associations with fetal growth and birthweight

Evelyne M van Uitert1, Niek Exalto, Graham J Burton

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Human Reproduction (Oxford, England)
|April 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Human embryonic growth rates accelerate between 9 and 10 weeks of gestation. This early embryonic growth is linked to fetal size in mid-pregnancy and birthweight, highlighting the importance of first-trimester development.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Prenatal Medicine

Background:

  • Fetal growth impacts later-life health and disease risks.
  • Research has historically focused on second and third trimesters, with limited first-trimester data.
  • Understanding early embryonic growth is crucial for comprehensive prenatal care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate human embryonic growth trajectories during the first trimester.
  • To determine the association between first-trimester embryonic growth and subsequent fetal growth and birthweight.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective periconception cohort study of 201 pregnancies before 8 weeks gestation.
  • Weekly 3D ultrasound scans and crown-rump length (CRL) measurements using V-Scope software.
  • Correlation analysis of CRL Z-scores with mid-pregnancy estimated fetal weight (EFW) and birthweight (BW).

Main Results:

  • Embryonic CRL growth rate was constant (0.99 mm/day) until 9 weeks, then increased.
  • Absolute growth rate accelerated between 9 and 10 weeks gestation.
  • First-trimester CRL Z-scores strongly correlated with mid-pregnancy EFW (r=0.54-0.57) and with BW (r=0.15-0.17).

Conclusions:

  • Embryonic growth rates change significantly in the first trimester, particularly around 9-10 weeks.
  • First-trimester embryonic growth is associated with fetal growth and birthweight.
  • Findings underscore the need for further research into early pregnancy care and monitoring.
Abstract

Keywords:
3D imagingcrown–rump lengthembryonic developmentfirst trimesterpregnancy

More Related Videos

Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model08:03

Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model

Published on: November 4, 2025

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus01:15

Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus

Development of the reproductive organs in an embryo starts from a bipotential state. This means the early embryo can develop either male or female reproductive organs. The formation of these organs begins with the growth of gonadal ridges that arise from the intermediate mesoderm during the fifth week of development.
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...
Polygenic Traits01:18

Polygenic Traits

When more than one gene is responsible for a given phenotype, the trait is considered polygenic. Human height is a polygenic trait. Studies have uncovered hundreds of loci that influence height, and there are believed to be many more. Due to the high number of genes involved, as well as environmental and nutritional factors, height varies significantly within a given population. The distribution of height forms a bell-shaped curve, with relatively few individuals in the population at the...
Development of Blood Vessels01:07

Development of Blood Vessels

The development of the vascular system in a fetus is a complex and intricate process that begins as early as 15 to 16 days post-conception. This process starts outside the embryo, specifically in the mesoderm of the yolk sac, chorion, and connecting stalk. Approximately two days later, the formation of blood vessels occurs within the embryo itself.
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...
Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...