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→Month wise development of embryo and foetus
==Month wise development of embryo and foetus==
==Month wise development of embryo and foetus==
The development of embryo and foetus in gestational life is described in all major Ayurveda texts. The method of assessment was mainly based on clinical observations. In contemporary practices, the development of embryo can be assessed by highly advanced technologies like ultrasonography. The weekly development is observed and noted. The following table depicts both views.
The development of embryo and foetus in gestational life is described in all major Ayurveda texts. The method of assessment was mainly based on clinical observations. In contemporary practices, the development of embryo can be assessed by highly advanced technologies like ultrasonography. The weekly development is observed and noted. The following table depicts both views.
Table 3: Embryonic and fetal development
Table 3: Embryonic and fetal development
Month Description in Ayurveda texts*
{| class= "wikitable"
|-
1st month Attains the consistency resembling shleshma(mucoid character),or jelly mass(kalala) in which all the body parts though present are not conspicuous.
!Month!!Description in Ayurveda texts* !! Description in contemporary medical texts
|-
|'''1st month'''|| Attains the consistency resembling shleshma(mucoid character),or jelly mass(kalala) in which all the body parts though present are not conspicuous.
1st day-jelly mass(kalala)
10th day-buble like(budbuda)
Week 2- implantation, extraembryonic mesoderm, primitive streak, gastrulation
Week 3 - gastrulation, notochordal process, primitive pit, notochordal canal, Somitogenesis, cardiac primordium, head fold
15th day-solid (ghana)
Week 4 - neural fold fuses, rostral neuropore closes, caudal neuropore closes
20th day-muscle like (mamsa panda)
2nd month Converted into Compact or solid form
25th day-more conspicuous || '''Week 1'''- fertilized oocyte, zygote, pronuclei, morula cell division with reduction in cytoplasmic volume, blastocyst formation of inner and outer cell mass, loss of zona pellucida, free blastocyst, attachment of blastocyst
'''Week 2'''- implantation, extraembryonic mesoderm, primitive streak, gastrulation
50th day- formation of buds of future body parts (ankura) Week 5- leg buds, lens placode, pharyngeal arches, lens pit, optic cup, lens vesicle, nasal pit, hand plate,
'''Week 3''' - gastrulation, notochordal process, primitive pit, notochordal canal, Somitogenesis, cardiac primordium, head fold
Week 6-nasal pits moved ventrally, auricular hillocks, foot plate, finger rays
Week 7- ossification commences, straightening of trunk
'''Week 4''' - neural fold fuses, rostral neuropore closes, caudal neuropore closes
Week 8- upper limbs longer and bent at elbow, hands and feet turned inward, eyelids, external ears, rounded head, body and limbs
|-
|2nd month||Converted into Compact or solid form
•Knot like structure (pinda/ghana) -male (purusha),
•elongated, muscle like structure(peshi)- female(stree),
•elevated/irregular shape (arbuda)- eunuch (napumsaka)
50th day- formation of buds of future body parts (ankura)||'''Week 5'''- leg buds, lens placode, pharyngeal arches, lens pit, optic cup, lens vesicle, nasal pit, hand plate
'''Week 6'''-nasal pits moved ventrally, auricular hillocks, foot plate, finger rays
'''Week 7'''- ossification commences, straightening of trunk
'''Week 8'''- upper limbs longer and bent at elbow, hands and feet turned inward, eyelids, external ears, rounded head, body and limbs
|-
|3rd month || •All sense organs (sarvendriya) and all other organs (sarva angavayava) are manifested simultaneously.
•five buds or projections (panchapindika)- arms (hasta),legs (pada) and head(shira),differentiation of major and minor parts (anga-pratyanga)
•achieves consciousness and feelings(vedana)||'''9-12 weeks –''' In the beginning of 9th week, head constitutes half of the crown-heel length of the foetus, and by the end of 12th week, crown-rump length almost doubles.
Broad face, eyes get widely separated, ears-low set, eye lids get fused, by the end of 12th week-primary ossification centres appear in the cranium and long bones, external genitalia develop, intestinal coils are clearly visible
Broad face, eyes get widely separated, ears-low set, eye lids get fused, by the end of 12th week-primary ossification centres appear in the cranium and long bones, external genitalia develop, intestinal coils are clearly visible
4th month • Garbha gets stabilized (sthiratwa)
|-
|4th month|| •Garbha gets stabilized (sthiratwa)
•All major and minor parts become clearly demarcated, expresses desires in objects of sense organs.
Head gets excellent development (shira saravat bhavet) during 3 ½ months and appearance of lanugo(loma)||'''13-16 weeks-'''Growth - rapid growth continues
•Head - head has straightened up
•eyes at the front part of the face but still widely separated
•outer ear has moved (relatively) from upper part of neck to the side of the head
•Musculoskeletal - ossification is proceeding
•skeleton now visible on an x-ray
•Integumentary - body is covered with lanugo
|-
|5th month|| •Excessive increase of muscle tissue ([[mamsa]]) and blood ([[rakta]])
•Mind (manas) becomes more enlightened
•foetus becomes more capable of living (sujeeva) ||'''17-20 weeks-'''Growth - Length growth begins to slow.
•Body parts have acquired their relative proportions.
•Integumentary - vernix caseosa
•Sebaceous glands begin to secrete and vernix caseosa comes to cover the skin to prevent damage by amniotic fluid.
•Neural - Spinal cord myelinization begins
•Adipose Tissue - brown fat is forming
•Musculoskeletal - active movements of the fetus in the uterus (kicks)
|-
|6th month||Rapid increase in bala(strength) and varna(complexion),More enlightening of buddhi(intellect),Manifestation of kesha(hairs on head), loma(body hairs), nakha(nails), asthi(bones), snayu(tendons), twak(skin),increase in strength(bala), complexion(varna) and vital power in foetus(ojas),quivering (prasphurana) ||'''21-25 weeks'''- Integumentary / Vision - eyelids and eyebrows developed
•Lanugo a darker color and vernix caseosa is thicker.
•skin is sometimes very wrinkled (high growth, lack of subcutaneous fat)
•fingernails are visible
•Growth - face and body are usually as they will be at birth.
•Fetuses born after the 25th week of gestation are generally viable
|-
|7th month||Differentiation of all the major and minor parts becomes evident,Completeness of all the body parts in terms of growth and development,optimum level of [[vata]]-[[pitta]]-[[kapha]] ||'''26-29 week'''-integumentary / Vision - eyes are opened again and eyebrows and eyelashes are well formed
•Pupillary membrane disappears.
•Integumentary - hair grows, subcutaneous adipose tissue deposits round the whole body, becomes chubby and plump
|-
|8th month||Unstable movement of vitality (ojas) from foetus to mother and vice versa through the channels of circulation of nutrient fluid.
Digestive enzymes (pachakagni) starts functioning.||'''30-34 weeks'''-Integumentary - body becomes chubby and the skin is pink
•fingernails have reached the ends of the fingers
•toe nails are visible
Genital - testicles descend
Genital - testicles descend
|-
|9th month||Cheshta (activities) are more apparent||--
|}
9th month Cheshta (activities) are more apparent
*[Cha. Sa. [[ Sharira Sthana]] 4/9-24], [Su. Sa. Sharira Sthana 3/18-30],
*[Cha. Sa. [[ Sharira Sthana]] 4/9-24], [Su. Sa. Sharira Sthana 3/18-30],
[A. S. Sharira Sthana 2/13-28],[A. Hr. Sharira Sthana 1/37-63]
[A. S. Sharira Sthana 2/13-28],[A. Hr. Sharira Sthana 1/37-63]
[Ka. Sa. Sharira Sthana 2/4-10], [B.P. Pur 3/289-307],
[Ka. Sa. Sharira Sthana 2/4-10], [B.P. Pur 3/289-307],[Ha. Sa. Shashtha Sthana 1/17-22]
===Disorders during embryonic life and their diagnosis ===
===Disorders during embryonic life and their diagnosis ===
The abnormalities occurring in the embryonic development can be attributed to the following:
The abnormalities occurring in the embryonic development can be attributed to the following:
Invasive procedures include amniocentesis, chorionic villi sampling, fetal blood sampling etc.
Invasive procedures include amniocentesis, chorionic villi sampling, fetal blood sampling etc.
Ayurveda texts describe the diseases in prenatal life under the category of congenital disorders (sahaja and garbhaja vyadhi). [A.S.Sutra Sthana 22/1] It also describes specific diseases occurring in progeny due to vitiation of channels carrying shukra and abnormalities of shukra dhatu. [Cha. Sa. Sutra Sthana 28/18-19].The disorders due to improper diet and lifestyle of mother are described under garbhaja vyadhi (jananyapacharat) [A. S. Sutra Sthana 22/1]
Ayurveda texts describe the diseases in prenatal life under the category of congenital disorders (sahaja and garbhaja vyadhi). [A.S.Sutra Sthana 22/1] It also describes specific diseases occurring in progeny due to vitiation of channels carrying shukra and abnormalities of shukra dhatu. [Cha. Sa. Sutra Sthana 28/18-19].The disorders due to improper diet and lifestyle of mother are described under garbhaja vyadhi (jananyapacharat) [A. S. Sutra Sthana 22/1]
==Current researches ==
==Current researches ==
• During early embryogenesis, the pro-embryo consists of two domains, the embryo proper and the suspensor. Recent studies have revealed that the suspensor plays an important role in early embryogenesis and the process of suspensor formation and degeneration may provide a unique model for studies on cell division pattern, cell fate determination, and cell death. The different shapes attributed to the early embryonic development like jelly mass, knot like structure, elongated muscle like structure, irregular elevation etc. described in Ayurveda embryology may be explored on the basis of these findings.
• During early embryogenesis, the pro-embryo consists of two domains, the embryo proper and the suspensor. Recent studies have revealed that the suspensor plays an important role in early embryogenesis and the process of suspensor formation and degeneration may provide a unique model for studies on cell division pattern, cell fate determination, and cell death. The different shapes attributed to the early embryonic development like jelly mass, knot like structure, elongated muscle like structure, irregular elevation etc. described in Ayurveda embryology may be explored on the basis of these findings.