NSPN 7100 Module 3 Fetal Growth and Development Questions with Correct Answers Latest
Update 2025/2026
Discuss the importance of pre-conceptual care in ensuring healthy pregnancy outcomes -
Answers
Define the functions of the placenta in supporting fetal growth and development. - Answers
Examine the difference between growth and development. - Answers
Understand the concept of vulnerability as it relates to the developing embryo/fetus. - Answers
Discuss variations in fetal growth and the potential impact on fetal/neonatal well-being. -
Answers
What is preconcpetion care? - Answers ...the provision of biomedical, behavioral and social
health interventions to women and couples before conception occurs, aimed at improving their
health status, and reducing behaviors and individual and environmental factors that could
contribute to poor maternal and child health outcomes. Its ultimate aim is improved maternal
and child health outcomes, in both the short and long term
What are the short-term benefits of preconception care? - Answers reducing the number of
preterm births
decreasing the number of unintended pregnancies
lowering the risk of genetic disorders or environmental exposures
reducing maternal and neonatal mortality
improving maternal and child health outcomes
***Preconception care can also contribute to improving the health and well-being of women in
relation to nutrition, infertility and subfertility, mental health, intimate partner and sexual
violence, and substance use
***particularly important for women with existing health conditions such as diabetes, HIV,
hypertension, obesity, mental health disorders, or renal disease to name a few. These
conditions require additional pregnancy planning, assessments, and interventions in order to
ensure healthy outcomes for both the woman and her infant.
Reading:
- Conception & Fertilization (229-232)
- Placenta (237-238) - Answers
What is the placenta, and what are its functions? When is maternal-placental-embryonic
,circulation in place? - Answers - organ that acts as the life support system for the developing
embryo/fetus, providing a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients and removing carbon
dioxide and wastes.
-endocrine organ. produces hormones that help maintain the pregnancy, facilitate fetal
development, and prepare the woman's body for birth and lactation
- acts like a sieve, substances, like druges infectious agents and maternal antibodies can cross
- begins to form at implantation and by day 17 the maternal-placental-embryonic circulation is in
place when the fetal heart starts beating
What is the decidua basalis? By which month of pregnancy is the decidua basalis replaced by
the chorionic villi from the chorionic plate? - Answers - The maternal component of the placenta
- technically, the endometrium or uterine lining underneath the site of implantation
- Penetrated by villi (fetal part of the placenta is derived from the chorionic sac, which develops
branches or "villi" that penetrate the decidua basalis)
- MONTH 4
When does the placenta begin to form? - Answers 1 week after conception
Describe how the placenta grows - Answers - forms first week after conception
- chorionic villi erode the walls of the maternal BV when they penetrate the decidua basalis (4mo)
- forms a lake of maternal blood inwhich the villi float (3rd week transfre of nutrients in pool)
Why does maternal blood circulate slowly with in the pool? - Answers - 3rd WEEK
to allow fetal capillaries (within the chorionic villi ) to absorb nutrients and oxygem & to excrete
waste
Is there mixing of maternal and fetal blood? - Answers NO. only if there is a break in the
membranes that line the chorionic villi
- allows baby to have a diff blood type than mom
what are the 4 hormones that the placenta secretes? - Answers - human chorionic gonadotropin
(protein hormones)
- human chorionic somatomammotropin (protein hormones)
- estrogen (steroid hormone)
- progesterone (steroid hormone)
, What are the 4 metabolic functions of the placenta? - Answers - respiration
- nutrition
- storage
- excretion
*** If a woman stops using birth control and experiences spotting 3mo later, what may it be -
Answers implantation bleeding
When does the embryo's heart start beating, and when is the placenta structurally complete? -
Answers The embryo's heart starts beating by day 17 after conception, and the placenta is
structurally complete by the 12th week after conception.
What four hormones does the placenta produce and how do they function? - Answers Human
chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)
preserves the function of the corpus luteum, ensuring a continued supply of estrogen and
progesterone needed to maintain pregnancy
Human placental lactogen (hPL)
stimulates the maternal metabolism to supply nutrients for fetal growth
increases maternal resistance to insulin, and facilitates glucose transport across the placental
membrane
stimulates breast development in preparation for lactation
Progesterone
maintains endometrium
decreases contractility of the uterus
stimulates development of breast alveoli
stimulates maternal metabolism
Estrogen
stimulates uterine growth and uteroplacental blood flow
Update 2025/2026
Discuss the importance of pre-conceptual care in ensuring healthy pregnancy outcomes -
Answers
Define the functions of the placenta in supporting fetal growth and development. - Answers
Examine the difference between growth and development. - Answers
Understand the concept of vulnerability as it relates to the developing embryo/fetus. - Answers
Discuss variations in fetal growth and the potential impact on fetal/neonatal well-being. -
Answers
What is preconcpetion care? - Answers ...the provision of biomedical, behavioral and social
health interventions to women and couples before conception occurs, aimed at improving their
health status, and reducing behaviors and individual and environmental factors that could
contribute to poor maternal and child health outcomes. Its ultimate aim is improved maternal
and child health outcomes, in both the short and long term
What are the short-term benefits of preconception care? - Answers reducing the number of
preterm births
decreasing the number of unintended pregnancies
lowering the risk of genetic disorders or environmental exposures
reducing maternal and neonatal mortality
improving maternal and child health outcomes
***Preconception care can also contribute to improving the health and well-being of women in
relation to nutrition, infertility and subfertility, mental health, intimate partner and sexual
violence, and substance use
***particularly important for women with existing health conditions such as diabetes, HIV,
hypertension, obesity, mental health disorders, or renal disease to name a few. These
conditions require additional pregnancy planning, assessments, and interventions in order to
ensure healthy outcomes for both the woman and her infant.
Reading:
- Conception & Fertilization (229-232)
- Placenta (237-238) - Answers
What is the placenta, and what are its functions? When is maternal-placental-embryonic
,circulation in place? - Answers - organ that acts as the life support system for the developing
embryo/fetus, providing a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients and removing carbon
dioxide and wastes.
-endocrine organ. produces hormones that help maintain the pregnancy, facilitate fetal
development, and prepare the woman's body for birth and lactation
- acts like a sieve, substances, like druges infectious agents and maternal antibodies can cross
- begins to form at implantation and by day 17 the maternal-placental-embryonic circulation is in
place when the fetal heart starts beating
What is the decidua basalis? By which month of pregnancy is the decidua basalis replaced by
the chorionic villi from the chorionic plate? - Answers - The maternal component of the placenta
- technically, the endometrium or uterine lining underneath the site of implantation
- Penetrated by villi (fetal part of the placenta is derived from the chorionic sac, which develops
branches or "villi" that penetrate the decidua basalis)
- MONTH 4
When does the placenta begin to form? - Answers 1 week after conception
Describe how the placenta grows - Answers - forms first week after conception
- chorionic villi erode the walls of the maternal BV when they penetrate the decidua basalis (4mo)
- forms a lake of maternal blood inwhich the villi float (3rd week transfre of nutrients in pool)
Why does maternal blood circulate slowly with in the pool? - Answers - 3rd WEEK
to allow fetal capillaries (within the chorionic villi ) to absorb nutrients and oxygem & to excrete
waste
Is there mixing of maternal and fetal blood? - Answers NO. only if there is a break in the
membranes that line the chorionic villi
- allows baby to have a diff blood type than mom
what are the 4 hormones that the placenta secretes? - Answers - human chorionic gonadotropin
(protein hormones)
- human chorionic somatomammotropin (protein hormones)
- estrogen (steroid hormone)
- progesterone (steroid hormone)
, What are the 4 metabolic functions of the placenta? - Answers - respiration
- nutrition
- storage
- excretion
*** If a woman stops using birth control and experiences spotting 3mo later, what may it be -
Answers implantation bleeding
When does the embryo's heart start beating, and when is the placenta structurally complete? -
Answers The embryo's heart starts beating by day 17 after conception, and the placenta is
structurally complete by the 12th week after conception.
What four hormones does the placenta produce and how do they function? - Answers Human
chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)
preserves the function of the corpus luteum, ensuring a continued supply of estrogen and
progesterone needed to maintain pregnancy
Human placental lactogen (hPL)
stimulates the maternal metabolism to supply nutrients for fetal growth
increases maternal resistance to insulin, and facilitates glucose transport across the placental
membrane
stimulates breast development in preparation for lactation
Progesterone
maintains endometrium
decreases contractility of the uterus
stimulates development of breast alveoli
stimulates maternal metabolism
Estrogen
stimulates uterine growth and uteroplacental blood flow
