Title: When does a fetus have a heartbeat? Timing and more
Headings: When does a fetus have a heartbeat?
When does a fetus have a heartbeat?
When does a fetus have a heartbeat?
How a heartbeat is detected
Transvaginal scan
Transabdominal scan
Fetal heart rate monitoring
Doptones
Why a heartbeat can be undetectable
Summary

Content: Learn more about the development of the heart from weeks 5–10 below: Week of pregnancy
Level of heart development
5th week
The developing heart is made up of two tubes that have fused in the middle, creating a trunk with four tubes branching off. The heart begins to beat, and it may be possible to detect it using vaginal ultrasound. 6th week
The heart of the embryo has changed dramatically — the basic heart tube has looped, forming an S-shape and creating an area for the ventricles. 7th week
The ventricles and atria of the heart begin to separate and develop. 8th week
The valves between the atria and ventricles of the heart form. 9th and 10th weeks
The aorta and pulmonary vein form. By the 10th week, the fetal heart will have developed fully. It may be possible to hear the heartbeat of an embryo from the fifth week of pregnancy. However, a scan at this stage is unlikely to show anything related to the embryo’s heartbeat.