Touch of Life fetal models
I recently had an opportunity to closely examine these Touch of Life fetal models. They really are something else. It’s amazing to see how organized yet tiny these human models are. Incredible. The following is printed on the inside of the box lid:
7 weeks: The baby’s facial features are visible, including mouth and tongue. The eyelids have begun to form. The major muscle system is developed. The child has its own blood type. One hundred thousand new brain cells are formed every minute. The heart is beating 140-150 beats per minute - almost twice as fast as mom’s. The baby is about an inch long (all stretched out) and weighs only ¼ oz.
8 weeks: The unborn child now swims and moves gracefully inside the protective amniotic sac. Every organ is present. The stomach produces digestive juices and the liver makes blood cells. The kidneys are beginning to function and taste buds are forming. Brain waves can be measured. The heart beats steadily. The baby’s eyelids and palms of the hands are sensitive to touch. The baby is about 1.5 inches long now.
9 weeks: The baby is now called a fetus, meaning “little one.” The hands now bend at the wrist and fingerprints and fingernails are just beginning to show. Elbows are formed. Nerves begin to function. The baby’s bones may begin to harden. Thumb sucking occurs. The male or female organs appear. The baby will move away if touched through the uterine wall and can move spontaneously. The baby is about 2 inches now.
10 weeks: The child is sensitive to touch, squints, swallows, frowns and puckers up the brow. The voice box is forming. The baby will stretch out and show breathing-like movements. Tiny baby teeth are forming in the gums. The heart is almost completely formed and resembles a small version of a newborn baby’s heart. The baby is now about 2.5 inches in length. Now the baby’s main job is just to grow bigger and stronger until the day of birth.