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    Wesley Fetal Medicine Unit

    (07) 3371 4933

     

     

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    Greenslopes Fetal Medicine Unit

    (07) 3216 9211

    Download a referral form - Click here

    We accept all referrals

    Greenslopes Fetal Medicine Unit

    Suite 7.106
    Level 7
    Nicholson Street Specialist Centre
    83 Nicholson Street
    GREENSLOPES QLD 4120

     

    Wesley Fetal Medicine Unit

    Suite 12
    Level 1
    Wesley Medical Centre
    40 Chasely Street
    AUCHENFLOWER  QLD  4066

     

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    Etymology and Spelling Variations

    Back to Fact Sheets Menu

    FETUS VERSUS FOETUS

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    The word fetus originates from the Latin fetus meaning “offspring”, “act of bearing young”, or “is or was filled with young”. Foetus is an English variation on this rather than a Latin or Greek word, but has been in use since at least 1594 according to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), which describes fetus as etymologically preferable but almost unknown in actual use. In general, the medical community only permits the spelling fetus (preferred by the British Medical Journal, for example), but the spelling foetus persists in general use, especially in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, etc.