What Is a Fetal Heartbeat If an Embryo Doesn't Have One? Texas Abortion Law: What Is a Fetal Heartbeat If an Embryo Doesn't Have One?

• The “heartbeat bill” refers to a new Texas law that essentially prohibits abortion after 6 weeks.

• An embryo does not have a completely developed heart at 6 weeks. Rather, it has a cluster of cells (which eventually form a heart) that generate electrical impulses that can be detected by ultrasonography.

• The "sound" of a heartbeat on ultrasound is really produced by the ultrasound equipment itself during this time frame.

Texas just approved Senate Bill 8, which makes abortion illegal after 6 weeks of pregnancy.

The law, often known as the "heartbeat bill," went into force on September 1 and prohibits abortion at the first discovery of a fetal heartbeat, which happens about 6 weeks of pregnancy.

However, reproductive health experts believe that at 6 weeks, an embryo lacks a completely developed heart and instead consists of a collection of cells that transmit electrical impulses.

Around 8 weeks following the previous menstrual cycle, the cells will develop into a heart.

The heart, valves, and arteries cannot be detected on an ultrasound until 16 to 18 weeks of gestation.

The phrase "fetal heartbeat," according to Dr. Jennifer Kerns, an associate professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, does not correctly describe what is observed at 6 weeks of pregnancy.

“For a 6-week embryo, the phrase ‘heartbeat' is quite deceptive. “What is referred described as a ‘heartbeat' is actually the electrical activity visible on ultrasound,” Kerns said to Healthline.

What exactly is a fetal heartbeat?

The pregnancy is still in the embryo stage until 8 weeks of gestation. Kerns defined it as a fetus after 8 weeks.

Between 6 and 8 weeks, the embryonic cells transform into specialized cells that support a specific bodily system, such as the cardiovascular or pulmonary systems.

However, at 6 weeks, an embryo lacks what we conceive of like a heart, according to Kerns.

“A heart is made up of four chambers, each having a valve that allows blood to accumulate and then be pumped out to the body. “At 6 weeks, there is an electrically active cluster of cells,” Kerns explained.

Kerns claims that the phrase "fetal heartbeat" is deceptive for a 6-week embryo since the "heartbeat" is technical.

Kerns claims that the phrase "fetal heartbeat" is deceptive for a 6-week embryo because the "heartbeat" is technically electrical activity detectable on an ultrasound.

“The sound created by that electrical activity is produced by the ultrasound machine interpreting that electrical activity, not by the opening and shutting of valves, as is true for a fully developed and functional heart,” Kerns explained.

What you should know about the first trimester of a pregnancy

According to Dr. Nancy L. Stanwood, section chief of family planning at Yale Medicine and associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine, it is critical to first define pregnancy dates.

Obstetricians and gynecologists begin counting from the previous menstrual cycle.

“This implies that the person isn't even pregnant for the first two weeks,” Stanwood explained.

Ovulation happens two weeks after menstruation in women who have normal menstrual cycles. Around this period, conception occurs in the fallopian tube.

The fertilized egg travels from the fallopian tube to the uterus at around 3 weeks, when it attaches to the uterine lining, according to Stanwood.

The pregnancy hormone is then identified in a urine pregnancy test after roughly a week.

When does the heart fully develop?

According to Stanwood, an embryo develops into a fetus at 9 weeks following the previous menstrual cycle, which is when the major components of the heart are created.

According to Kerns, the four chambers of the heart, the valves, and the arteries may be seen in the second trimester, approximately 16 to 18 weeks.

Ultrasounds are generally performed at this stage to detect any cardiovascular problems.

Even at this point, the heart relies on other organ systems to operate properly, according to Kerns.

In conclusion

An embryo does not have a completely developed heart at 6 weeks. Rather, it has a cluster of cells (which eventually form a heart) that generate electrical impulses that can be detected by ultrasonography.

According to reproductive health experts, the term "fetal heartbeat" is deceptive.

The heart, valves, and arteries cannot be seen properly on an ultrasound until 16 to 18 weeks of pregnancy.