![]() Janet Folger Porter, an Ohio anti-abortion activist, first coined the term "abortion stops a beating heart," which helped so-called "heartbeat bills" overcome constitutional concerns in states that support them. Yet the idea of a "fetal heartbeat" in relation to tighter abortion laws simply won't go away. At this stage, "embryo" is the correct term, with "fetus" only becoming applicable after around eight weeks of development. Michael Cackovic, maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, spoke out against the use of the term "first fetal heartbeat" by Republican lawmakers.Ĭackovic, who practices in Ohio, told the Associated Press the laws are based on nothing other than the "amazing technological advances" that mean it is now possible to pick up the embryonic cardiac activity in its earliest stages.Įven the term "fetal" may be considered inaccurate when talking about pregnancy at six weeks. Valves that don't yet exist at this stage of development.Īftab is not the only doctor to challenge the six-week "fetal heartbeat" concept. When a doctor listens to a patient's heartbeat with a stethoscope what they are detecting is the opening and closing of cardiac valves. The flutter is different from what we picture as a beating heart and can't be heard by doctors via a stethoscope. ![]() Penalties for Abortion, Rape in Texas Explained Amid Claims They're SimilarĪftab said that this flutter can be detected by ultrasound, but is little more than the cluster of cells that will become the heart gaining the capacity to transmit electrical signals.ĭespite this, the "fetal heartbeat" idea has now become part of laws designed to restrict abortion access in at least 9 states, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit organization that researches and advocates for sexual and reproductive health.As Texas Republicans Cheer Abortion Win, Senators Cruz, Cronyn Are Silent.TX Website for Reporting Abortion Providers May Violate Web Company's Rules.If the baby is moving around during the time we are listening, the heart rate will be a little higher just like your heart rate when you exercise.Įven though there is no truth to this old wives’ tale, it is still fun to think about and play “guess the gender” with family and friends. The rate at any given time is often related to the movement of the baby. Then, moving forward, there is a normal range of fetal heart rate from 110 to 160 beats per minute. What we do notice is that fetal heart rate is usually above 160 beats per minute from about 9 weeks until about 13 weeks gestation. And guess what?Ībout 50% were boys and 50% were girls… amazing right? ![]() There was no difference in fetal heart between boys and girls. This information was then correlated to the gender found at the 18 week sonogram. A study done in 2006 recorded the heart rate during about 1000 first trimester sonograms. ![]() I hate to spoil your fun, but there is no correlation between fetal heart rate at any point in pregnancy and the gender of your baby. Bass, he gets a kick out of perpetuating this old wives’ tale. My response is often the same and is always true, “Yup, it will be a girl… 50% of the time.”įor those of you who have seen Dr. PREGNANCY OLD WIVES’ TALE #1: HEART RATE AND GENDER Is there a correlation between baby’s heart rate and gender?Įvery day, we all hear it from our moms who are still too early in their pregnancies to know the gender of their baby…
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