Countdown to life : the extraordinary making of you. 3/3, The final push.

This three-part series explores how our lives are shaped day-by-day by genetic developments in the womb. Part Three follows the final 24 to 40 weeks of foetal development and birth. Presenter Michael Mosley visits a premature baby unit and observes how vital physical changes can take place outside, rather than inside, the womb. He describes how the skeleton is formed during foetal development. He then explains how bones are formed using the protein TNSALP, and visits Janelly Martinez-Amador - a young girl with Hypophosphatasia. Pediatric Endocrinologist Jill Simmons explains the new trial drug Janelly is taking. Mosley explains the brain’s development at 27 weeks. He meets a man who has an exceptional memory. He then explains how ears and the ability to hear develops within the womb. He visits a woman undergoing an ultrasound, and conducts an experiment to see how much her unborn baby can hear of the outside world. Mosley explains an experiment conducted to see how much unborn babies remember of what they hear. He then explains how the foetus develops sight and the ability to differentiate between colours. Mosley visits Pingelap Atoll, where a large percentage of its inhabitants are colour-blind. Mosley then visits a taxi driver in New York, who has developed Type-2 Diabetes, which Mosley also suffers from. He posits that the amount of calories a mother eats whilst pregnant might affect their baby’s propensity to develop diseases for which diet and lifestyle are contributing factors. He explains the process of methylation, using an experiment with genetically identical mice as an illustration. Mosley then introduces a resident of Québec, Canada, who was pregnant during a freak ice storm in the 1980s that cut her off from electricity and civilisation. Professor Suzanne King explains her investigation into the pre-natal stress levels of the pregnant women trapped by the storm, and how this affected the development of their children after birth and into adolescence. Mosley explains the development of the lungs during the later stages of foetal development, and meets Free-Diver Sam Amps. He explains the effect of being born premature on lung development. Finally, a mother in labour is shown giving birth.