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9-Week Fetus: Developmental Milestones & Ethical/Legal Status
At 9 weeks gestational age (7 weeks post-conception):
- Crown-rump length: ~2.3 cm (0.9 in).
- Major organs formed; heart beating (~170 bpm).
- Limbs, digits, facial features developing.
- Neural tube closed; brain waves detectable.
- Spontaneous movements begin.
Terminology
"Embryo" until 8 weeks; "Fetus" from 9 weeks onward (organogenesis complete).
Legal/Ethical Status
- Biological: Living human organism, genetically distinct.
- Legal (US): No federal personhood; state laws vary (fetal homicide, abortion limits). Roe/Casey/Dobbs framework.
- Ethical: Spectrum of views: Conception (sanctity), Viability (~24 wks), Birth, Gradualist (moral status increases with development).
Medical decisions respect patient autonomy, clinical guidelines, and applicable law.
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