Term
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Definition
| Bluish purple discoloration of the cervix, vagina, and labia during pregnancy as a result of increased vascular congestion. |
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Definition
| Separation of the longitudinal muscles of the abdomen (rectus abdominis) during pregnancy. |
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Definition
| Softening of the cervix during pregnancy. |
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Definition
| Softening of the lower uterine segment that allows it to be easily compressed by the sixth week of pregnancy. |
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Definition
| Brownish pigmentation of the face during pregnancy; also called chloasma and “mask of pregnancy.” |
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Definition
| A woman who has given birth two or more times at 20 or more weeks of gestation. |
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Definition
| A woman who has been pregnant more than once. |
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Term
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Definition
| A woman who has never completed a pregnancy beyond a spontaneous or elective abortion. |
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Term
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Definition
| Number of pregnancies that have progressed to 20 or more weeks at delivery, whether the fetus was born alive or stillborn; refers to the number of pregnancies, not the number of fetuses. |
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Term
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Definition
| A birth that occurs after the forty-second week of gestation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A birth that occurs after the twentieth week and before the start of the thirty-eighth week of gestation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A woman who is pregnant for the first time. |
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Term
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Definition
| A woman who has given birth once after a pregnancy of at least 20 weeks. |
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Term
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Definition
| Irregular reddish streaks on the woman's abdomen, breasts, and thighs resulting from tears in connective tissue. |
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Term
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Definition
| One of three equal, 13-week parts of a full-term pregnancy. |
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Term
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Definition
| G = gravida, T = term, P = preterm, A = abortions, and L = living children.y also be used to describe infants instead of pregnancies delivered. In this case (T) becomes term infants born and (P) becomes preterm infants born. |
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Term
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Definition
| Cells and membranes resulting from fertilization of the ovum at any stage of prenatal development. |
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Term
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Definition
| Prenatal age of the developing baby, calculated from the date of conception. (Also called postconceptional age.) |
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Term
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Definition
| The developing baby from the beginning of the third week through the eighth week after conception. |
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Term
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Definition
| The developing baby from 9 weeks after conception until birth; used in everyday practice to describe a developing baby during pregnancy, regardless of age. |
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Term
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Definition
| Implantation of the fertilized ovum (zygote) in the uterine endometrium. |
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Term
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Definition
| The developing baby from conception through the first week of prenatal life. |
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Term
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Definition
| Reduction cell division in gametes that halves the number of chromosomes in each cell. |
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Term
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Definition
| Cell division in body cells other than the gametes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Formation of gametes (ova) in the female. |
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Term
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Definition
| Formation of male gametes (sperm) in the testes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Pregnancy-related rituals or a cluster of symptoms experienced by some prospective fathers during pregnancy and childbirth. |
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Term
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Definition
| Copying the behaviors of other pregnant women or mothers as a method of “trying on” the role of advanced pregnancy or motherhood. |
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Term
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Definition
| Plasma protein produced by the fetus. |
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Term
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Definition
| Transabdominal puncture of the amniotic sac to obtain a sample of amniotic fluid that contains fetal cells and biochemical substances for laboratory examination. |
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Term
| Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) |
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Definition
| An ultrasound examination in which the vertical depth of the largest fluid pocket in each of the four quadrants of the uterus is measured and totaled. |
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Term
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Definition
| The risk, usually in reference to birth defects or spontaneous abortion, of the general population of pregnant women who have no identified high-risk factors or invasive procedures. |
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Term
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Definition
| Method for evaluating fetal status during the antepartum period based on five variables originating with the fetus: fetal heart rate, breathing movements, gross body movements, muscle tone, and amniotic fluid volume. |
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Term
| Chorionic Villus Sampling |
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Definition
| Transcervical or transabdominal procedure to obtain a sample of chorionic villi (projections of the outer fetal membrane) for analysis of fetal cells. |
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Term
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Definition
| Method for evaluating fetal status during the antepartum period by observing response of the fetal heart to the stress of uterine contractions that may induce recurrent episodes of fetal hypoxia. |
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Term
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Definition
| A test used to measure the change (delta, or Δ) in optical density of the amniotic fluid caused by staining with bilirubin. |
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Term
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Definition
| A display of a cell's chromosomes, arranged from largest to smallest pairs. |
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Term
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Definition
| The slowing of the fetal heart rate after the onset of a uterine contraction and persisting after the contraction ends. |
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Term
| Lecithin/Sphingomyelin Ratio (L/S Ratio) |
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Definition
| Ratio of two phospholipids in amniotic fluid that is used to determine fetal lung maturity; ratio of 2:1 or greater usually indicates fetal lung maturity. |
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Term
| Multiple-Marker Screening |
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Definition
| Analysis of maternal serum for abnormal levels of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and estriols that may predict chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus; often called triple-screen. Addition of tests such as inhibin A have improved accuracy of the results, leading to alternate names for the package of tests. |
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Term
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Definition
| A congenital defect in closure of the bony encasement of the spinal cord or skull. Includes defects such as anencephaly, spina bifida, meningocele, myelomeningocele, and others. |
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Term
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Definition
| A method for evaluating fetal status during the antepartum period by observing the response of the fetal heart rate to fetal movement. |
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Term
| Percutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling (PUBS) |
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Definition
| Procedure for obtaining fetal blood through ultrasound-guided puncture of an umbilical cord vessel to detect fetal problems such as inherited blood disorders, acidosis, or infection; also called cordocentesis. |
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Term
| Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) |
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Definition
| A major phospholipid of surfactant whose presence in amniotic fluid indicates fetal lung maturity. |
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Term
| Phosphatidylinositol (PI) |
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Definition
| A phospholipid of surfactant that is produced and secreted in increasing amounts as the fetal lungs mature. |
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Term
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Definition
| Abnormal implantation of the placenta in the lower uterus located at or very near the cervical os. |
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Term
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Definition
| Combination of lipoproteins produced by the lungs of the mature fetus to reduce surface tension in the alveoli, thus promoting lung expansion after birth. |
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Term
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Definition
| Technique for visualizing deep structures of the body by recording the reflections (echoes) of high-frequency sound waves directed into the tissue. |
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Term
| Uteroplacental Insufficiency |
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Definition
| Inability of the placenta to exchange oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products properly between the maternal and fetal circulations. |
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Term
| Vibroacoustic Stimulation |
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Definition
| Use of sound stimulation to elicit fetal movement and acceleration (speeding up) of the fetal heart rate. |
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Term
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Definition
| Mixture of cervical mucus and blood from ruptured capillaries in the cervix; often precedes labor and increases with cervical dilation. |
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Term
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Definition
| Period of decreasing strength of a uterine contraction. |
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Term
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Definition
| Descent of the widest diameter of the fetal presenting part to at least a zero station (the level of the ischial spines in the maternal pelvis). |
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Term
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Definition
| Period of increasing strength of a uterine contraction. |
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Term
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Definition
| Period between the end of one uterine contraction and the beginning of the next. |
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Term
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Definition
| Fetal part that enters the pelvic inlet, or the presenting part. |
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Term
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Definition
| Softening of the cervix as labor nears as the result of an increase in water content and the effects of relaxin on its connective tissue. |
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Term
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Definition
| Measurement of fetal descent in relation to the ischial spines of the maternal pelvis (see also engagement). |
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Term
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Definition
| Acronym for vaginal birth after cesarean. |
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Term
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Definition
| Breast milk received near the end of a feeding; contains higher fat content than foremilk. |
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