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

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An ultrasound can help detect the fetal heartbeat
Before about week 8 of pregnancy, a doctor may refer to the fetus as an embryo. The heart of an embryo starts to beat from around 5–6 weeks of pregnancy. Also, it may be possible to see the first visible sign of the embryo, known as the fetal pole, at this stage. The heart of a fetus is fully developed by the 10th week
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of pregnancy. 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.