Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Fetal Health and Development
A normal pregnancy lasts nine months. Each three-month period of pregnancy is called a trimester. During each trimester, the fetus grows and develops. Regular medical checkups and prenatal tests are very important. They can:
- Help keep you and your baby healthy
- Spot problems with your baby (if there are any). In some cases, health care professionals can treat the problem before your baby is born. But even when they cannot, it can still be helpful to know about the problem early on. That gives you time to learn about your baby's condition and prepare for any challenges you may face after the baby is born.
- Prevent problems during delivery. For example, if your baby is breech (bottom first or feet first, instead of head first), you may need to have a Cesarean section to avoid complications.
Besides getting medical care, there are other things you can do to keep your baby as healthy as possible. It's important not to drink or smoke. Try to eat a healthy diet and make sure to take care of any health problems you have during pregnancy.
It sits within Pregnancy and Reproduction.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Fetal Health and Development
30 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Improving Maternal and Child Health Through Prenatal Fatty Acid SupplementationUniversity of Chicago
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Prenatal Effects Independent of GeneticsColumbia University
- Singapore PREconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child OutcomesKK Women's and Children's Hospital
- Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy OutcomesNational University Hospital, Singapore
- Development of an International Remote Digital Care System for Accessible, Inclusive and Sustainable Pregnancy CareUMC Utrecht
- Anthropometric Outcomes of a Mobile Health Intervention for Eating Behaviour and Lifestyle in InfancyKK Women's and Children's Hospital
Research already completed
- The Developmental Origins of EndometriosisUniversity Hospital, Montpellier
- EFT and Music on Psychological Development, Well-Being Status and Cortisol Level in Pregnant WomenKahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University
- Roo Study on Mom and Baby Well-BeingOregon Health and Science University
- Bandebereho 6 Year Follow up RCT in RwandaPromundo, United States
- Wellness For 2: A Feasibility and Acceptability PilotNorthwestern University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Stages of PregnancyDepartment of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health
Diagnosis and Tests
- Prenatal Testing: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
Related Issues
- What Are the Risks of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia to the Fetus?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Fetal DevelopmentNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Fetal DiseasesNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Fetal Diseases, Fetal Development. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Fetal Health and Development, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.