Pregnancy is the period of a woman’s life between the conception and birth of a new individual. The normal development of this process depends on the structure and function of the organs that constitute the female reproductive system. As gestation progresses, the fetus within the uterus acquires the structures that will later become the organs which, once fully developed, will permit survival outside the uterus. Diseases occurring during pregnancy might be extremely serious both for the mother and the baby. For this reason, it is very important that every pregnancy is closely monitored by an obstetrician throughout the whole gestational period. Techniques such as ultrasound, for example, allow for determination of intrauterine fetal growth prior to birth.
