title: [Assessment of fetal maturation].
abstract: Few organs or tissues are convenient to use for the pathologist to assess fetal maturity: the brain, particularly the external configuration of the cerebral hemispheres: the primary and secondary sulci appear in a definite chronologic order; the lungs; four developmental stages are defined: the last stage is characterized by attenuation of alveolar epithelial lining, and increase and superficial migration of capillaries. It must be reached necessarily to have postnatal respiration; the kidneys have a typical pattern of development, especially after 28 weeks, when it is possible to count the number of immature glomerular layers in the cortex; for the differentiation of the skin, specimens taken from special regions of the body are characteristic enough to determine the maturity, especially during the second trimester.
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012015:Reference Standards; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000196:embryology
vernacular_title: Critéres de maturation foetale.