Human Fetus in the Womb at 22 Weeks, Lateral View (Asian Skin)

Description

A fetus at approximately 22 weeks of gestation lies in a flexed, head-down attitude within the amniotic cavity, seen from the left side. The large rounded cranium dominates body proportions, with closed fused eyelids, a modelled external ear with a defined helix and lobule, and a short neck. The upper limbs are drawn across the chest so that the hands and separated fingers approach the face, while the lower limbs are folded tightly against the trunk, one foot with distinct toes presenting near the shoulder. Behind the fetus the discoid placenta is applied to the uterine wall, its chorionic plate crossed by a branching network of arterial and venous vessels that converge on the insertion of the umbilical cord, which coils forward toward the fetal abdomen. At 22 weeks the fetus sits at the threshold of extrauterine viability, making this stage central to counselling on periviable birth, antenatal corticosteroid timing and neonatal intensive care planning. The depicted anatomy corresponds to structures assessed during the mid-trimester anomaly scan: cranial contour, facial profile, limb and digit counts, cord vessel number and placental position relative to the internal cervical os. Placental vasculature and cord insertion are the same features evaluated in suspected velamentous insertion, vasa praevia or growth restriction, while the flexed fetal posture illustrates the tone and movement patterns scored in biophysical profile assessment. The rendering suits obstetric and midwifery teaching sequences that track development week by week, antenatal clinic and ultrasound department patient education, and textbook or app figures on second-trimester growth. It also serves prenatal classes, neonatology training on periviability, and editorial or public-health material where a clear, non-clinical depiction of the fetus, cord and placenta is needed. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.