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Administering corticosteroids is used in the second or third trimester, typically between 24 and 34 weeks, to promote fetal lung maturity in cases of preterm labor risk. It does not prevent congenital anomalies and is not a first trimester intervention.

Monitoring fundal height is not applicable in the first trimester because the uterus remains a pelvic organ until around 12 weeks. Fundal height measurements begin after 20 weeks gestation as a tool for tracking fetal growth, not anomaly prevention.

Performing Leopold’s maneuvers is relevant in the third trimester, typically after 28 weeks, to assess fetal position and presentation. It is unrelated to early congenital anomaly prevention and not useful in the first trimester.

Fetal lung maturation is not influenced by hCG. This function is regulated by cortisol and surfactant production, which are stimulated by glucocorticoids such as betamethasone during the third trimester.

Fetal weight gain occurs primarily in the third trimester and is regulated by placental nutrient transfer, insulin-like growth factors, and maternal nutrition, not by hCG.

Labor contractions are initiated by increased oxytocin, prostaglandins, and estrogen at term. hCG has no role in triggering parturition.

100 mcg is insufficient for NTD prevention. This dose may be found in food but is below the therapeutic threshold required for reducing neural tube malformations.

200 mcg is still subtherapeutic. Evidence-based guidelines consistently show that at least 400 mcg per day is needed for effective neural tube defect risk reduction.

800 mcg is above the general recommendation. While not harmful in most cases, this higher dose is reserved for special populations or prenatal supplements and is not routinely recommended for all women unless otherwise indicated.

Week 8 marks the start of genital ridge differentiation into either testes or ovaries under influence of the SRY gene in XY embryos. However, external genitalia are still undifferentiated and identical in appearance in both sexes, making ultrasound distinction impossible.

By week 10, internal reproductive structures such as Müllerian and Wolffian ducts begin differentiating. However, external features remain ambiguous on imaging. At this stage, the genital tubercle is still forming and appears similar in both sexes.

Week 12 is the transitional phase where the external genitalia begin to show early signs of sexual differentiation. However, the features are often subtle, and accurate identification on ultrasound remains unreliable due to overlapping characteristics and suboptimal visualization.

Red blood cells are produced by the yolk sac early in gestation, then by the liver and spleen. The fetal kidneys do not participate in hematopoiesis at any stage.

The fetal kidneys are immature and do not regulate systemic blood pressure effectively. Fetal blood pressure regulation is primarily under control of the placenta and fetal adrenal hormones, not the renal system.

Fetal kidneys do not filter maternal blood. Exchange of nutrients and waste products between mother and fetus occurs via the placenta, not through direct blood filtration by fetal organs.

Fetal red blood cells are produced by the yolk sac, liver, and bone marrow during different stages of development, not the placenta. The placenta does not have a hematopoietic function.

Fetal temperature is regulated by maternal homeostasis, not by the placenta. The fetus remains slightly warmer (~0.5°C) than the maternal core temperature due to high metabolic activity.

While the placenta acts as a partial barrier, it does not prevent all infections. Pathogens such as cytomegalovirus, rubella, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster, HIV, and Toxoplasma gondii can cross the placenta and cause congenital infections.

A fundal height of 8–10 cm is expected at approximately 12 weeks gestation, when the uterus is still just palpable above the pubic symphysis. At 16 weeks, this measurement would indicate uterine growth lag.

A measurement of 20–22 cm correlates with about 20–22 weeks gestation. At this point, the fundus is typically at the level of the umbilicus, not applicable to a 16-week pregnancy.

A fundal height of 24–26 cm is appropriate for 24–26 weeks gestation, when the fundus is well above the umbilicus. This would be significantly advanced for a 16-week pregnancy and may indicate incorrect dating or conditions like polyhydramnios.

The grasping reflex appears later, typically after week 26, and becomes more pronounced in the third trimester. It involves finger flexion in response to stimulation and is mediated by spinal and cortical circuits.

The stepping reflex does not develop in utero. It emerges postnatally, around birth to 6 weeks, as a primitive response when the soles touch a flat surface.

The rooting reflex, which helps infants locate a nipple by turning the head toward stimuli on the cheek, begins developing in the third trimester and is generally seen postnatally at full term, not coordinated at 17–20 weeks.

Taste bud development begins much earlier, around weeks 7–8, and by week 14, taste receptors are already functional. While taste sensation continues to mature, this is not a unique milestone of week 26.

Formation of fingerprints (dermal ridges) is completed by weeks 17–19, during the second trimester. This unique feature arises due to genetic and intrauterine influences on skin patterning.

Complete lung maturation does not occur by week 26. Type II alveolar cells begin surfactant production around weeks 24–28, but full structural and functional lung maturity typically is not achieved until week 36–37.

Amniotic fluid volume is assessed via ultrasound, not by Leopold’s maneuvers. The amniotic fluid index (AFI) is measured in centimeters, with normal range between 5–25 cm during the second and third trimesters.

Fetal heart rate is evaluated using Doppler ultrasound or fetoscope, not palpation. Leopold’s maneuvers may assist in locating the best site for auscultation but do not measure heart rate directly.

Placental location is assessed by ultrasound imaging, particularly via transabdominal or transvaginal scan, especially to rule out conditions like placenta previa. Palpation cannot reliably locate the placenta.