By 40 weeks, your baby has about million alveoli in his lungs, ready to take over the job of breathing once he's born. So how does your baby know to take his first breath? It's most likely a reflex response to touch and being exposed to air for the first time. Contrary to what you see on TV, slapping a baby's buttocks isn't necessary, though some babies may need a gentle rub with a towel. When your baby inhales for the first time, his lungs expand, and any fluid remaining in the alveoli is replaced with air.
The alveoli then start the life-sustaining process of gas exchange. Preterm birth is the greatest threat to the development of your baby's lungs, so call your healthcare provider right away if you notice any of the following signs of preterm labor :. These symptoms can be confusing because some such as pelvic pressure or low back pain are common during pregnancy, and sporadic early contractions may be Braxton Hicks contractions.
But it's always best to be cautious, so call your provider right away if you have any unusual symptoms at any time during your pregnancy. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world.
When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.
We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Obstetric care consensus no. Obstetrics and Gynecology 6 :ee Loftin RW et al. Late preterm birth. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology 3 1 Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.
Medical Physiology: Principles for Clinical Medicine. Sadler TW. Langman's Medical Embryology. That's the job of a fatty compound called surfactant.
American Lung Association researcher Dr. Now, surfactant can be made artificially and is an effective treatment for babies with RDS. An explosion of air sacs: Tiny air sacs alveoli inside the lungs do the work of transferring oxygen from the air into the blood, and carbon dioxide out of the blood to exhale back into the air.
At birth, a baby only has million air sacs. In the first six months, more air sacs develop very rapidly, then continue to develop more slowly until reaching the typical adult number of million. That's an increase of more than percent! Bigger and better: Not only do a child's lungs increase in the number of air sacs, they also increase in air capacity — the amount of air their lungs can hold — especially over the first two or three years of development.
A healthy child's lungs should continue to grow and increase in volume throughout childhood. At birth, females may have larger airways than males, but at the end of puberty, lung function will be about 25 percent greater in males than in females of identical height. Here are some things you can do: Create a " no smoking zone " around your child. There is evidence that a mother's smoking or her exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy can harm the fetus.
Avoid both indoor and outdoor air pollution as much as possible. Be aware of your daily outdoor air quality and avoid being outdoors during high pollution days. You can use these tips to create healthier air at home and school and also take action to clean up the air we all share. The digestive system is fully developed and your baby will be able to feed if they're born now. From around now, you may be aware of a tightening feeling in your lower tummy from time to time.
These are a normal part of pregnancy, known as Braxton Hicks contractions — your uterus is "practising" for the tightenings, or contractions, of labour.
Find out about signs that labour has begun and what happens. When contractions become longer, stronger and more frequent, it can be a sign that labour is starting.
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