Fetus at Gestational Week 20

Description

Rendered in a curled fetal posture, the conceptus is shown with the head flexed and the spine in gentle C-shaped kyphosis, the upper limbs adducted toward the thorax and the lower limbs flexed at the hips and knees. Facial features are defined, including the forehead, nasal bridge, eyelids, auricles, and mentum, with the hands brought close to the face so the digits and fingernails can be appreciated in relation to the forearm and wrist. Distally, the feet and toes are visible, with the plantar surfaces turned toward the midline by the flexed position. Surface anatomy dominates the view. For teaching gestation, this pose helps anchor common milestones in mid to late pregnancy, when coordinated limb flexion, clearer facial contours, and increasingly distinct fingers and toes support fetal biometry and anomaly screening. It also aligns with what clinicians encounter on obstetric ultrasound, where fetal position and limb proximity to the face can complicate assessment of the palate, profile, and extremities, and where recognition of normal digit separation matters when screening for limb reduction defects or syndromic hand findings. Small anatomy. High stakes. Use this asset in embryology and human development courses, OB-GYN teaching files, and medical publishing layouts that contrast developmental weeks with visible external morphology, or as a companion visual for prenatal counseling materials explaining why certain views are requested during the second-trimester anatomy scan. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.