Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Prenatal development of arm posture

I A Ververs1, M R Van Gelder-Hasker, J I De Vries

  • 1Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Early Human Development
|May 7, 1998
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

HLA-E and NKG2A Mediate Resistance to BCG Immunotherapy in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Every maternal near-miss counts: Need for a national audit in South Africa? A mixed-methods study.

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde·2022
Same author

2021 Canadian Surgery Forum: Virtual, online Sept. 21-24, 2021.

Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie·2022
Same author

Development of Giant Motor Axons and Neural Control of Escape Responses in Squid Embryos and Hatchlings.

The Biological bulletin·2018
Same author

Fetal blood sampling in addition to intrapartum ST-analysis of the fetal electrocardiogram: evaluation of the recommendations in the Dutch STAN® trial.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2011
Same author

The effect of posture on early reaching movements.

Journal of motor behavior·2009
Same journal

Corrigendum to "2D:4D ratio, affective lability, and impulsivity in men with cannabinoid and methamphetamine use disorders: A comparative analysis with healthy controls" [Early Hum. Dev. Volume 221:106587(2026)].

Early human development·2026
Same journal

Risk factors associated with the development of metabolic bone disease in infants admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit.

Early human development·2026
Same journal

Association of cardiac perfusion index with cerebral regional oxygen saturation and fractional tissue oxygen extraction in preterm infants.

Early human development·2026
Same journal

Long-term motor outcomes after parent-administered early physiotherapy in children born very preterm.

Early human development·2026
Same journal

Second-to-fourth digit ratio in polycythemia vera: An exploratory anthropometric comparison with secondary polycythemia and healthy controls.

Early human development·2026
Same journal

Infants who crawl while skin-to-skin in the first hour after birth are more likely to effectively breastfeed postpartum.

Early human development·2026
See all related articles

Fetal arm posture shows a developmental trend toward increased flexion from 12 weeks gestation. This progression, observed via ultrasound, highlights key prenatal motor development milestones.

Area of Science:

  • Prenatal Development
  • Fetal Biomechanics
  • Neurodevelopment

Background:

  • Understanding fetal motor development is crucial for assessing neurodevelopmental health.
  • Longitudinal studies of fetal limb posture provide insights into motor control maturation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally track the development of fetal arm posture from 12 to 38 weeks gestation.
  • To identify trends and patterns in the flexion of the elbow, wrist, and fingers.
  • To analyze the developmental sequence of arm posture changes.

Main Methods:

  • Real-time ultrasound examinations were conducted in 10 uncomplicated pregnancies.
  • Observations occurred at four-weekly intervals from 12 to 36 weeks, and at 38 weeks.
  • Optimal visualization of fetal arm joints was achieved in over 90% of assessments after 12 weeks.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • A statistically significant trend towards increased flexion was observed in the elbow, wrist, and fingers.
  • Elbow flexion increased from 12 weeks, finger flexion from 20 weeks, and wrist flexion from 28 weeks.
  • Fetal arm posture evolved from elbow flexion with wrist/finger extension to complete flexion by term.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal arm posture development follows a specific sequence, not a simple proximo-distal trend.
  • These findings contribute to understanding prenatal central nervous system development.
  • The study provides a basis for evaluating fetal motor development and predicting extrauterine postural adjustments.