Why You Didn't Die at Birth - Smarter Every Day 42 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Babies transition from breathing fluid inside the mother's womb to breathing air as they are squeezed through the birth canal, triggering changes in circulation and the opening of valves in the heart.

Key Insights

• 🥳 The transition from a liquid to an air environment occurs when a baby is squeezed through the birth canal, causing fluid in the lungs to be expelled.
• 🥰 The first breath a baby takes triggers significant changes in circulation and the opening of valves in the heart.
• 🥳 Before birth, blood flow is diverted away from the lungs, but after birth, the lungs fully inflate, allowing for proper oxygenation.
• 😢 The first cry of a baby signifies the moment when it begins to breathe real oxygen and nutrients.
• 🥳 The foramen ovale and the ductus arteriosus divert blood flow away from the lungs before birth, but close and disappear respectively after birth, allowing for full blood flow to the lungs.
• 🥳 A baby's lungs are not fully inflated before birth due to the diversion of blood flow away from them.
• 🫁 After birth, the lungs fully inflate, and blood flow to the lungs returns to 100%.

Transcript

Hey it's me Destin. Welcome to Smarter Every Day. So today's episode's a little bit different. I have a question about breathing. It's pretty simple. See our bags are packed and we're about to go to the hospital to have our third child, and my question is this. How do you go from, this. My baby, in my baby. To this. Now 72 hours ago, my son was ins... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do babies go from breathing fluid in the womb to breathing air?

As babies are squeezed through the birth canal, fluid in the lungs is expelled, and they take their first breath, triggering changes in circulation and opening valves in the heart.

Q: What happens when a baby takes its first breath?

The baby's first breath of air causes significant changes in circulation, allowing the baby to breathe on its own and receive oxygen and nutrients.

Q: Where are the valves that change in the heart as a baby breathes for the first time?

The valves that change are located in the top half of the heart, specifically the foramen ovale, a flap between the right and left atrium, which closes when the baby takes its first breath.

Q: Why is the first cry of a baby so special?

The first cry signifies the moment when the baby transitions from breathing its own waste products to breathing real oxygen and nutrients necessary for life.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Babies transition from a liquid environment to an air environment as they are squeezed during childbirth, causing fluid to be expelled from the lungs.

• The first breath a baby takes triggers significant changes in circulation and the opening of valves in the heart.

• Before birth, blood flow is diverted away from the lungs, but after birth, the lungs fully inflate, allowing for proper oxygenation.