|
Abruptio Placenta |
A disorder of pregnancy in which the placenta
prematurely separates from the wall of the
uterus. |
|
Amnion |
The tissue membrane that expands to enclose
the fetus and form the amniotic sac, protecting
and cushioning the fetus during pregnancy,
within which is the amniotic fluid (bag
of water). |
|
Antenatal |
The time period from conception until the
onset of labor—about 40 weeks. |
|
Antepartum |
Occurring or existing before birth; the
prenatal period; antenatal care. |
|
APGAR |
Designed in 1952 by Dr. Virginia Apgar at
Columbia University’s Babies Hospital,
the APGAR (appearance, pulse, grimace, activity,
respirations) score is a quick test performed
at 1 and 5 minutes after birth to determine
the physical condition of the newborn. The
rating is based on a scale of 1 to 10. Ten
suggests the healthiest infant, and scores
below 5 indicate that the infant needs immediate
assistance in adjusting to his or her new
environment. |
|
Bacterial Vaginosis |
An inflammation of the vagina caused by
one or more bacteria that has replaced the
normal flora of the vagina. Signs and symptoms
include vaginal discharge—thin, creamy,
and grayish, often unpleasant and fishy
in odor, and vulval irritation, rather than
itching. |
|
Chorion |
The outermost membranous sac enclosing the
embryo. |
|
Congenital Malformations |
Physical and/or neurological defects that
are present at delivery. |
|
Domestic Violence |
Any physical abuse or threat or pattern
thereof, between intimately involved partners,
roommates, or family members. |
|
Eclampsia |
Coma and convulsions during or immediately
after pregnancy, characterized by edema,
hypertension, and proteinuria. |
|
Ectopic Pregnancy |
A pregnancy in which a fertilized egg begins
to develop outside the uterus (for example,
in a fallopian tube). Ectopic pregnancy
can lead to tubal rupture, hemorrhage, and
death. |
|
Fetal Alcohol Exposure |
Exposure to alcohol of the developing fetus. |
|
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome |
Refers to a group of symptoms exhibited
by an infant or child resulting from a woman’s
consumption of alcohol during pregnancy.
The symptoms may include differing levels
of mental retardation, low birthweight,
small size, and underdevelopment of the
upper lip. |
|
Fetus |
The clinical name for an unborn child after
the eighth week of pregnancy. |
|
First Trimester |
Time period extending from the first day
of the last menstrual period through 12
weeks of gestation. |
|
Folic Acid |
A nutrient found in some green, leafy vegetables,
nuts, beans, citrus fruits, fortified breakfast
cereals, and some vitamin supplements. Folic
acid can help reduce the risk of birth defects
of the brain and spinal cord (also called
neural tube defects). |
|
Gestation Period |
The period during when the embryo develops. |
Gestational Age |
The age of an embryo counting from the time
of fertilization. |
|
Health Education |
Health education includes instructional
activities and other strategies to increase
knowledge/awareness of an individual/group/community
and to change individual health behavior. |
|
Healthy People 2010 |
A comprehensive, nationwide health promotion
and disease prevention agenda launched by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services in January 2000. Healthy People
2010 contains 467 objectives designed to
serve as a road map for improving the health
of all people in the United States during
the first decade of the 21st century. |
|
In Utero |
In the uterus; typically refers to events
that occur in the womb before birth. |
|
Infant Mortality |
Death during the first year of life. |
|
Interconceptional Care |
Relating to the care recommended to women
between pregnancies or up to 24 months postpartum.
Interconceptional care generally consists
of interventions to ensure that medical
conditions, poor personal behaviors, and
negative environmental conditions are treated
and eliminated before conception, thus decreasing
the likelihood of poor birth outcomes. |
|
Intrauterine Growth Retardation |
A fetus whose weight is below the 10th percentile
for gestational age. |
|
Low Birthweight |
Refers to an infant weighing less than 2,500
grams (five pounds, eight ounces) at birth. |
|
Maternal Perinatal Depression |
Refers to maternal depression occurring
during the period shortly before or after
birth. |
|
Neonatal Period |
The first four weeks after birth. |
|
Neural Tube Defect |
A congenital defect of the central nervous
system, including the spinal cord, skull,
and brain, resulting from failure of the
neural tube to properly close during fetal
development. Defects may include absence
of the skull, and protrusions of the brain
or spinal cord. Most such defects can be
detected before birth through amniotic fluid
or blood levels of alpha-fetoprotein and
by ultrasonic scanning. |
|
Perinatal |
Pertaining to or occurring in the period
shortly before and after birth, variously
defined as beginning with completion of
the 20th to 28th week of gestation and ending
7 to 28 days after birth. |
|
Preterm/ Premature |
Refers to an infant born before 37 weeks
of gestation. |
|
Postneonatal Period |
The period from 4 weeks to 52 weeks after
birth. |
|
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) |
The sudden death of an infant under 1 year
of age that remains unexplained after a
thorough case investigation, including performance
of a complete autopsy, examination of the
death scene, and review of the clinical
history. |
|
Very Low Birthweight |
Refers to an infant weighing less than 1,500
grams (three pounds, four ounces) at birth. |
Printer-Friendly
