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Parentpedia
Nervous System
Your baby's nervous system controls his or her heartbeat, movement, senses, personality, and behavior. To support the development of the nervous system and to prevent certain brain and spinal cord defects, including spina bifida, make sure you're getting at least 400 mcg of folic acid daily for three months before you get pregnant and continue 400 mcg once you become pregnant.
You can get folic acid from foods such as raw leafy vegetables, enriched flour, grains, cereals, oranges, bananas, walnuts, and legumes. Your body doesn't absorb much from the natural sources, so you should still take a supplement or multivitamin with folic acid. Learn more about folic acid.
The nascent nervous system is particularly sensitive to the effects of alcohol and drugs. Alcohol can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome and learning, speech, attention, language, and hyperactivity problems. Although an occasional drink may be all right, no research has conclusively come up with what a safe amount is. Therefore, it is best to avoid alcohol entirely during pregnancy.
First Trimester
The nervous system is one of the first systems to develop. Around week 4, the neural tube forms, from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, and nerves will emerge. The front part of the neural tube will become the brain (see brain development). The rest of the tube develops into the spinal cord. Cells on the crest of the neural tube become the peripheral nervous system, which acts as a messenger between your brain and other parts of your body.
Around week 6, the neural tube along your baby's back closes. A few weeks later, your baby's brain is making about 250,000 neurons a minute.
Second Trimester
Functioning organs, nerves, and muscles are evidence that the nervous system is evolving. Around week 18, your baby can start to hear your body's inner rumblings as the nerves hook up to the ears. The next week, millions of neurons form, allowing your baby to move around. Two weeks later, his brain can process the sensation of touch and he may experiment by touching his face and other parts of his body.
Third Trimester
His brain and nervous system are working better every day. The developmental process will continue through childhood and adolescence. If you're lucky, it might even continue through adulthood.
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