front 1 Abortion | back 1 Intentional removal of a fetus from the uterus. |
front 2 Alpha-fetoprotein test | back 2 Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein that is produced during fetal development. The AFP test is an analysis of the mother’s blood serum to determine whether the level of AFP denotes a risk of a birth defect. |
front 3 Amenorrhea | back 3 Absence of menstruation. |
front 4 Amniocentesis | back 4 A procedure for obtaining amniotic fluid. |
front 5 Amniotomy | back 5 Incision into the amnion to induce labor. |
front 6 Apgar score | back 6 A technique used to assess the general wellbeing of a newborn. The newborn is assessed one minute after birth and again five minutes after birth. |
front 7 Artificial insemination | back 7 A process where the semen is introduced into the vagina by mechanical means. |
front 8 Breech | back 8 The position of the fetus is feet first. Ideally, the position of the fetus should be headfirst for a safer delivery. |
front 9 Cesarean section | back 9 Delivery of the fetus through an abdominal incision. |
front 10 Cephalopelvic disproportion | back 10 A condition where the infant’s head is larger than the mother’s pelvis. |
front 11 Cerclage | back 11 A suture inserted into the cervix to prevent dilation and prevention miscarriage. |
front 12 Chorioamnionitis | back 12 Inflammation of the chorion and amnion. |
front 13 Choriocarcinoma | back 13 A malignant, fast-growing tumor that develops from trophoblastic cells (cells that help an embryo attach to the uterus and help form the placenta). |
front 14 Chorionic villus sampling | back 14 A procedure in which tissue from the placenta is tested for fetal chromosomal disorders. |
front 15 Colostrum | back 15 A thick, yellowish substance secreted from a mother’s breasts in the first postpartum days. |
front 16 Dilation and curettage (D&C) | back 16 A procedure to scrape and remove tissue from the inner lining of the uterus. The cervix is dilated (made larger) and a curette (spoon-shaped instrument) is inserted into the uterus to remove tissue. The procedure is used to test tissue for signs of disease, after a miscarriage, or to treat certain conditions. |
front 17 Dystocia | back 17 Slow or difficult labor. |
front 18 Eclampsia | back 18 A very serious condition in pregnant women with hypertension; patients are at high risk of coma, convulsions, and even death. |
front 19 Ectopic pregnancy | back 19 A pregnancy in which the fertilized ovum is implanted in any tissue other than the uterine wall. |
front 20 Episiotomy | back 20 Incision made in the posterior vaginal wall and perineum that facilitates vaginal birth. |
front 21 Fetal | back 21 Pertaining to the fetus. |
front 22 Gestation | back 22 The period required for embryonic and fetal development in utero; pregnancy. |
front 23 Gestational diabetes | back 23 Diabetes mellitus that occurs during pregnancy but resolves by the end of pregnancy in women without a history of diabetes. |
front 24 Gestational hypertension | back 24 Elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure in pregnant women. |
front 25 Gravidity | back 25 The number of pregnancies, complete or incomplete, experienced by a woman. |
front 26 Hyperemesis gravidarum | back 26 Excessive vomiting during pregnancy. Hyperemesis can occur with any pregnant woman, even a woman who miscarried. Often these women may require hospitalization for fluid and electrolyte intake. |
front 27 Induction | back 27 The process of bringing on or starting labor through artificial means. |
front 28 In vitro fertilization | back 28 A process where the ova is fertilized outside the body and then implanted into the uterus. |
front 29 Lactic acid | back 29 A substance produced by the body, such as during strenuous exercise, that aids in various chemical processes in the body. |
front 30 Meconium | back 30 Fetal wastes consisting of ingested amniotic fluid, cellular debris, mucus, and bile. |
front 31 Microcephaly | back 31 A congenital abnormality where the head is small. |
front 32 Midwifery | back 32 Practice of assisting in childbirth. |
front 33 Natal | back 33 Pertaining to being born or birth. |
front 34 Neonatal | back 34 Pertaining to the newborn’s first thirty days of life outside of the uterus. |
front 35 Neonate | back 35 An infant during the first 28 days after birth. |
front 36 Neonatologist | back 36 Physician who studies and treats disorders of the newborn. |
front 37 Neonatology | back 37 A subspecialty of pediatric medicine concerned with the newborn. |
front 38 Obstetrician | back 38 A doctor who specializes in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. |
front 39 Obstetrics and gynecology | back 39 A branch of medicine that specializes in the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth and in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the female reproductive organs; also called OB/GYN. |
front 40 Oligohydramnios | back 40 A condition of abnormally low amniotic fluid volume. |
front 41 Oocyte | back 41 Immature egg cell. |
front 42 Parturition | back 42 Childbirth. |
front 43 Placenta abruptio | back 43 Occurs when the placenta prematurely becomes detached from the uterine wall, resulting in uterine bleeding, fetal distress, or fetal death; also known as abruptio placenta. |
front 44 Placenta previa | back 44 Low placement of fetus within the uterus, which causes the placenta to partially or completely cover the opening of the cervix as it grows. |
front 45 Polyhydramnios | back 45 A condition where there is excessive amniotic fluid in the placenta. |
front 46 Postnatal | back 46 Pertaining to after birth. |
front 47 Postpartum | back 47 The period of approximately 6 weeks immediately following childbirth. |
front 48 Preeclampsia | back 48 The abnormal condition in pregnancy where the patient experiences hypertension, edema, and proteinuria. |
front 49 Prenatal | back 49 Having to do with the time a female is pregnant, before birth occurs; also called antenatal. |
front 50 Primigravida | back 50 First pregnancy. |
front 51 Pseudocyesis | back 51 False pregnancy. |
front 52 Puerperal | back 52 Pertaining to immediately after childbirth. |
front 53 Puerperium | back 53 Time directly after childbirth (6 to 8 weeks after giving birth). |
front 54 Sperm | back 54 Male gamete (spermatozoon). |
front 55 Stillbirth | back 55 An infant who is born dead. |
front 56 Teratogen | back 56 An agent capable of producing malformations in a developing embryo. |
front 57 Teratology | back 57 A branch of embryology for the study of congenital malformations and developmental abnormalities. |
front 58 Vaginal birth following a C-section | back 58 Delivery of an infant through the vagina in a female who has had a prior cesarean section. |
front 59 Zygote | back 59 A single cell formed by the fusion of an egg and sperm; also called the fertilized egg. |