Chapter 4 Birth and Newborn Flashcards
Braxton-Hicks contractions
The first (usually painless) contractions of childbirth.
Prostaglandins-
Hormones that stimulate uterine contractions.
Oxytocin-
A pituitary hormone that stimulates labor contractions.
Neonate-
A newborn child
Efface-
Too thin.
Dilate-
Make or become wider, larger, or more open.
Episiotomy-
A surgical incision in the area between the birth canal and the anus that widens the vaginal opening, preventing random tearing during childbirth.
Midwife-
A woman who is trained to help/ assist woman in childbirth
Natural Childbirth-
A method of childbirth in which women use no anesthesia and are educated about childbirth and strategies for coping with discomfort.
Lamaze method-
A series of breathing techniques that allows the mother to dissociate from the delivery process, making it a little easier to regulate anxiety and pain perception.
Cesarean section
(Also known as a C-section)
This method is where the physician delivers the baby by abdominal surgery, cutting through the abdomen and uterus to physically remove the baby. C-sections are usually used if the vaginal delivery may threaten the mother or child or may be more difficult.
Anoxia-
An absence of oxygen
Hypoxia-
A condition characterized by less oxygen than is required
Schizophrenia-
A neurodevelopmental disorder that causes the host to perceive reality abnormally
Breech presentation-
A position in which the fetus enters the birth canal buttocks first
Preterm (Also called premature).
When birth occurs at or before 37 weeks of gestation.
Lanugo-
Fine, downy hair that covers much of the body of neonates, especially preterm babies.
Vernix-
A greasy deposit covering the skin of a baby at birth.
Respiratory distress syndrome-
A cluster of breathing problems, including weak and irregular breathing, to which preterm babies are particularly prone.
Incubator-
An enclosed apparatus providing a controlled environment for the care and protection of premature or unusually small babies
Postpartum period-
The time that immediately follows childbirth.
Postpartum Depression PPD-
Depression that occurs after childbirth, woman are also at a greater risk of developing major depression later on in life
Apgar scale-
A measurement system that looks for a variety of indications of health in newborns. Tests for appearance (color: blue or pale to pink), Pulse (heart rate: absent to rapid), Grimace (reflex irritability: no response to crying/coughing), Activity level (muscle tone: limp to flexed arms/legs) and Respiratory effort ( breathing absent to regular breathing)
Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS):
Measures neonates’ reflexes and other behavior patterns. This test screens neonates for behavioral and neurological problems by assessing several areas of behavior: motor behavior, including muscle tone and most reflexes, response to people, response to stress, adaptive behavior, and physiological control.
