Thursday Tidbits

I thought I would share a few "tidbits" about development in babies/children that were shared by our professor in anatomy today. These were completely off the topic of discussion but caught my attention nonetheless!

We are born with all of the cartilage we will ever have in life. The cartilage found at the articulating surfaces on our bones will not regenerate, hence the need for replacements of knees, hip ball-socket joints, etc.

When growth plates in long bone harden late in puberty and early adulthood, they leave no remnants behind.

At birth, a baby's eyes are not fully developed; this fact many may have known. They do not see with the acuity that we as adults do, and their vision at birth is about 20/120! They develop acuity over time and by ages 4-6 they begin to see the world similar to adults.

During embryonic development (from conception up to and including week 8) the embryo develops its own vascular system and blood supply. Many misunderstand and believe that the mother's blood circulates through the amnion or placenta to the baby. The mother's blood brings nutrient to the placenta and these nutrients move across the placenta to the embryo/fetus but the mother's blood never comes in contact with the baby as it develops.