Does amniotic fluid enter the baby's body while in the womb?
Dr Vidya Gupta
Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist,
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital,
New Delhi
Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist,
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital,
New Delhi
Q: The serous fluid in which the embryo is suspended inside the membranous sac is called the amniotic fluid. Since the baby inside his mothers womb is suspended in the amniotic fluid, doesn't the amniotic fluid enter the nose, ears, eyes, mouth and other distinct pores of the baby? What could the consequences be if the amniotic fluid enters the nose, ears, eyes etc.? How do babies inside a mothers womb excrete?
A:Of course the amniotic fluid enters the nose and all the other orifices of the baby's body. It is supposed to. It is only after the baby is born that the nose ears and lung start to dry out. In the womb the baby drinks the amniotic fluid and also passes urine into it.