alleryStart learning →How soon after birth does the first inhalation occur?
AWithin 10 seconds
BWithin 10 minutes
CAfter about an hour
DWithin 60 seconds
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Within 10 seconds
1. Before birth the lungs are filled with amniotic fluid, mucus and surfactant.
2. Squeezing through the birth canal compresses the thoracic cavity and expels much of that fluid.
3. The first inhalation follows within 10 seconds after birth.
4. It serves as the first inspiration and also acts to inflate the lungs.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Respiratory System", section 22.7 Embryonic Development of the Respiratory System_
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