Title: Fetal Brain Development Stages: When Does a Fetus Develop a Brain?
Headings: Fetal Brain Development Stages: When Does a Fetus Develop a Brain?
Fetal Brain Development Stages: When Does a Fetus Develop a Brain?
When does a fetus develop a nervous system?
When does a fetus develop a brain?
Stages of prenatal brain development
The first trimester
The second trimester
The third trimester
The parts of a baby’s brain
How to support your baby’s brain development
What can harm fetal brain development?

Content: The second trimester
In the second trimester, the fetal brain begins to direct the compression of the chest muscles and movement of the diaphragm. These are kind of like practice breaths and are controlled by the brain stem. Sucking and swallowing begin around week 16, and by week 21, the fetus can swallow amniotic fluid. During the second trimester, the fetus is still testing out movements, kicking and stretching. At some point between week 16 and week 20, the fetus should be large enough that you can feel the baby kick. These movements are directed by the cerebellum. At this point, the fetus develops the full range of specific fetal movements. In the second trimester, the fetal brain begins to direct the compression of the chest muscles and movement of the diaphragm. These are kind of like practice breaths and are controlled by the brain stem. The fetal brain stem is almost entirely developed by the end of the second trimester.