Is a heart rate of 179 fast for 11 weeks fetal development and what could it mean?

Answer 1

Don't know for sure. We just had ours measured at 8 weeks 0 days, and it was 168. Web using Google seems to imply that fetal heart rate peaks at 9 weeks of development, and 179 isn't way too high. But you should do the search yourself. I used this search: heart rate week fetal OR fetus One source says: "Beginning at a rate near the mother's, at approximately 80-85 B/M at the start of the 5th week, the heart rate accelerates to a mean of 175 B/M (+/-20 = 2SD) at 9.2 LMP weeks. It then abruptly begins to decelerate. This increase is approximately 10 beats every 3 days until the early 9th week." Note that LMP = last missed period; meaning, the conventional measurement of gestational age. Another source says "Normal heart rate at 6 weeks is 90-113 bpm and at 9 weeks is 144-170 bpm." So...it's hard to say. Sounds like it's not way to high to me. BUT ASK YOUR DOCTOR.