Learn about Life Before Birth

Fetal Development Photo Credits

Learn More about Life Before Birth

Many of the amazing pictures shown here are from living children in the womb, taken by the famous Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson.

The photos were taken using a tiny camera and a technique called fetoscopy. The fetoscope is about half a millimeter (2 one-hundredths of an inch). It is inserted through the uterine wall and into the uterus by a small incision made in the abdomen. Fetal ultrasound is used to guide the placement of the fetoscope to protect the fetus. This procedure can often be done during an amniocentesis. The mother can watch the procedure and see her fetus on a screen. No fetuses were harmed in the production of these photos.

Photos appearing on this web site are reproduced under "fair use" terms for the purpose of public education. For permission to use these photos for commercial purposes, please contact the sources indicated below. No pages on this web site may be reproduced in their entirety without permission, but your links are appreciated. All text is copyrighted by Terwilliger Web.

Sources for Photos and Facts

• Nine Month Miracle (CD ROM software) , A.D.A.M. Software, Inc., 1600 RiverEdge Parkway, Suite 800, Atlanta, GA, 30328.
• The First Nine Months of Life, (brochure) Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO, 1995.
• Introduction to Child Development, 6th ed., (text book) John Dworetzky, West Publishing Company, San Francisco, CA, 1996.
• Psychology Today, (magazine) "Fetal Psychology," Janet L. Hopson, October 1998.
• When You were Formed in Secret, (handbook) Gary Bergel, Intercessors for America, 1988.
• Terwilliger Web Development Servics: Article library for pregnancy centers.

Recommended Books, Videos, and Software

• A Child Is Born by Lennart Nilsson (also in paperback). The pictures are truly amazing (if you are pregnant or even thinking about getting pregnant, you must see this book!).
• Nova: The Miracle of Life this award-winning documentary includes a detailed account of how a baby is formed, from conception to birth, complete with prenatal footage.
• Nine Month Miracle, A.D.A.M. Software, Inc.: Join Adam & Eve as they experience life's greatest miracles - the birth of their child. Nine Month Miracle is a wonderful way for the entire family to learn about conception, childbirth and everything in between. Order at the A.D.A.M. company website, Windows and Mac.
• More books about pregnancy with selected reviews.