system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
When does an unborn baby have a functional heart and heartbeat?

Let me be very clear: this is NOT supposed to be political. But in light of Texas' SB8, I saw an argument that the law referenced "fetal heartbeat", whereas at six weeks of pregnancy a baby's detected pulse is just electrical signals, not contractions of a heart. This argument continued to say that at six weeks, any "beat" detected is artificially propagated by technology, whereas an actual heartbeat can be heard without any propagation. So I'm wondering, at what point can a baby be said to have actual heartbeats caused by cardiac contractions? Is this a subjective question open to different interpretations?
gpt
The 6 week transvaginal (inserted into the vagina) ultrasound is detecting a cluster of cells that will become the pacemaker so not technically a heartbeat at all which is why you'll often see (not hear) 150-170 pulses/minute. A fully formed heart happens around week 11-12 which is still only about half the time needed for full viability as the lungs take much longer to form.