Chp 3 and 4 Flashcards
Infertility
A couple’s inability to get pregnant after a year of trying to do so.
Endometriosis
A condition arising when bits of tissue lining the uterus grow outside the uterus; a cause of infertility.
Artificial Insemination
A method of conception that involves injecting sperm from a woman’s partner or from a donor into the uterus
In Vitro Fertilization
Procedure in which several eggs are removed from a woman’s ovary, fertilized by sperm in a petri dish in the laboratory, then transferred to the woman’s uterus in hopes that one will implant on the wall of the uterus.
Embryologist
Scientist who studies early growth and development during the prenatal period.
Germinal Period
First phase of prenatal development, lasting about 2 weeks from conception until the developing organism becomes attached to the wall of the uterus.
Blastocyst
A hollow sphere of about 100–150 cells that the zygote forms by rapid cell division as it moves through the fallopian tube.
Miscarriage
Loss of a pregnancy before survival of the baby outside the womb is possible.
Embryonic period
Second phase of prenatal development, lasting from the third through the eighth prenatal week, during which the major organs and anatomical structures begin to develop.
Organogensis
The process, occurring during the period of the embryo, in which major organs take shape.
Amnion
A watertight membrane that surrounds the developing embryo, regulating its temperature and cushioning it against injuries.
Chorion
A membrane that surrounds the amnion and becomes attached to the uterine lining to gather nourishment for the embryo.
Placenta
An organ, formed from the chorion and the lining of the uterus, that provides for the nourishment of the unborn child and the elimination of its metabolic wastes.
Spina Bifida
Condition in which the bottom of the neural tube fails to fully close during prenatal development and part of the spinal cord is not fully encased in the protective covering of the spinal column.
Anencephaly
Condition in which the top of the neural tube fails to close and the main portion of the brain above the brain stem fails to develop properly.
Testosterone
The most important of the male hormones, or androgens; essential for normal sexual development during the prenatal period and at puberty.
Fetal Period
The third phase of prenatal development, lasting from the ninth prenatal week until birth; during this period, the major organ systems begin to function effectively and the fetus grows rapidly.
Proliferation
Process in early brain development in which neurons multiply at a staggering rate throughout the prenatal period
Migration
Process in early brain development in which neurons move from their place of origin in the center of the brain to particular locations throughout the brain where they will become part of specialized functioning units.
Differentiation
In brain development, the progressive diversification of cells that results in their taking on different characteristics and functions.
Age of Viability
A point (around the 24th prenatal week) when a fetus may survive outside the uterus if the brain and respiratory system are well enough developed and if excellent medical care is available.
Myelin
A fatty sheath that insulates neural axons and thereby speeds the transmission of neural impulses.
Fetal Programming
Processes through which the prenatal environment affects the genetic unfolding of the embryo/fetus and its physiologic functions in ways that can influence physical and mental health much later in life.
Teratogen
Any disease, drug, or other environmental agent that can harm a developing fetus.
Critical Period
A defined period in the development of an organism when it is particularly sensitive to certain environmental influences; outside this period, the same influences will have far less effect.
Thalidomide
A mild tranquilizer that, taken early in pregnancy, can produce a variety of malformations of the limbs, eyes, ears, and heart.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
The death of a sleeping baby because of a failure of the respiratory system; linked to maternal smoking.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
A group of symptoms commonly observed in the offspring of mothers who use alcohol heavily during pregnancy, including a small head, widely spaced eyes, and intellectual disability.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
A collection of symptoms including tremors, weight loss, feeding difficulties, irritability, and seizures, affecting newborns exposed prenatally to opioid drugs.
Rubella
A disease that has little effect on a pregnant woman but may cause several serious birth defects, such as blindness, deafness, and mental retardation, in unborn children exposed in the first 3–4 months of gestation; also called German measles.
AIDS
The life-threatening disease in which the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) destroys the immune system and makes victims susceptible to rare, so-called opportunistic, infections that eventually kill them. AIDS is transmitted through sexual activity, needle sharing in drug use, and from mother to child before or during birth.
Syphillis
A common sexually transmitted infection that may cross the placental barrier in the middle and later stages of pregnancy, causing miscarriage or serious birth defects
Stillbirth
Fetal death that occurs late in pregnancy when survival outside the womb would normally have been possible.
Lamaze Method/Prepared Childbirth
Prepared childbirth in which parents attend classes and learn mental exercises and relaxation techniques to ease delivery.
Perinatal Environment
The environment surrounding birth.
Perinatologist
A maternal-fetal specialist who focuses on high-risk pregnancies.
Oxytocin
Hormone that plays important roles in facilitating parent–infant attachment as well as reducing anxiety and encouraging affiliation in other social relationships.
Anoxia
A lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain that may result in neurological damage or death.
Breech Presentation
A delivery in which the fetus emerges feet first or buttocks first rather than head first.
Cerebral Palsy
A neurological disability caused by anoxia that is associated with difficulty controlling muscle movements.
Cesarean Birth
A surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the mother’s abdomen and uterus so that the baby can be removed through the abdomen.
Epidural Block
The most common pain relief given to mothers in the birth process, administered through an injection or tube in the lower back. Considered relatively safe for the baby but tends to lengthen labor
Postpartum Depression
An episode of severe, clinical depression lasting for months in a woman who has just given birth; to be contrasted with milder cases of the “baby blues,” in which a new mother is tearful and moody in the first days after birth.
Neonatal
Pertaining to events or developments in the first month after birth.
At Risk
Children who have a higher than normal chance of either short-term or longterm problems because of genetic defects, prenatal hazards, or perinatal damage.
Apgar Test
A test routinely used to assess a newborn’s heart rate, respiration, color, muscle tone, and reflexes immediately after birth and 5 minutes later; used to identify high-risk babies.
Low Birth Weight
A weight at birth of less than 2500 grams, or 5 1/2 pounds, associated with increased risk of developmental problems.
Surfactant
A substance that aids breathing by preventing the air sacs of the lungs from sticking together.
Kangaroo Care
Holding a young infant skin to skin on a parent’s chest; often used with premature babies to help maintain body temperature, heart rate, and oxygen levels in the blood.
Celiac Disease
An inherited digestive problem in which gluten (the proteins found in all wheat products) triggers an immune response that damages a person’s small intestine.
Catch up growth
A phenomenon in which children who have experienced growth deficits will grow rapidly and catch up to the growth trajectory they are genetically programmed to follow.
Endocrine Gland
A type of gland that secretes chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream. Endocrine glands play critical roles in stimulating growth and regulating bodily functions.
Pituitary Gland
The “master gland” located at the base of the brain that regulates the other endocrine glands and produces growth hormone.
Growth Hormone
Hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates childhood physical growth and the adolescent growth spurt.
Androgens
Male hormones that help trigger the adolescent growth spurt and the development of the male sex organs, secondary sex characteristics, and sexual motivation.
Estrogen
The female hormone responsible for the development of the breasts, the female sex organs, and secondary sex characteristics and for the beginning of the menstrual cycle.
Progesterone
Hormone involved in regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle and preparing the uterus for a pregnancy. Sometimes called “the pregnancy hormone” for its role in sustaining a pregnancy.
Neuron
The basic unit of the nervous system; a nerve cell.
Synapse
The point at which the axon or dendrite of one neuron makes a connection with another neuron.
Myelination
The depositing of a fatty sheath around neural axons that insulates them and thereby speeds the transmission of neural impulses.
Cephalocaudal Principle
The principle that growth proceeds from the head (cephalic region) to the tail (caudal region).
Proximodistal Principle
In development, the principle that growth proceeds from the center of the body (or the proximal region) to the extremities (or the distal regions).
Orthogenetic Principle
Werner’s principle that development proceeds from global and undifferentiated states toward more differentiated and integrated patterns of response.
Biopyschosociocultural Model
A health model that incorporates biological and psychological factors with social and cultural factors.
Synpatogenesis
The growth of synapses, or connections between neurons.
Synaptic Pruning
The removal of unnecessary synapses between neurons in response to experience.
Fontanelles
The spaces between the bones of an infant’s skull, consisting of soft cartilage-like tissue, which will gradually harden into bony material as calcium and other minerals are deposited into them.
Reflex
An unlearned and automatic response to a stimulus.
REM sleep
A state of active, irregular sleep associated with dreaming; named for the rapid eye movements associated with it.
Congenital Malformations
Defects that are present at birth and are caused by genetic factors, prenatal events, or both.
Lateralization
The specialization of the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex of the brain.
Body Max Index
An indicator of body fat calculated from a person’s height and weight.
Puberty
The processes of biological change that result in an individual’s attaining sexual maturity and becoming capable of producing a child.
Adolescent Growth Spurt
The rapid increase in physical growth that occurs during adolescence.
Adrenarche
A period of increased production of adrenal hormones, starting around 6–8 years of age, that normally precedes increased production of gonadal hormones associated with puberty.
Concussion
A brain injury involving a brief loss of brain function in response to a hit or blow to the head; immediate symptoms include headache, sensitivity to light and sound, feeling dizzy or foggy, and slowed reaction time.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
A degenerative brain disease with symptoms of memory loss, poor impulse control, depression, and eventually dementia; a risk for football players and participants in other contact sports.
Menarche
A female’s first menstrual period. menopause The ending of a woman’s menstrual periods and reproductive capacity around age 51.
Semenarche
A boy’s first ejaculation.
Secular Trend
A trend in industrialized societies toward earlier maturation and greater body size.
Obesity
Condition of being overweight; specifically, being 20% or more above the “ideal” weight for one’s height, age, and sex.
Diabetes
A metabolic disorder characterized by high levels of glucose or sugar in the blood leading to symptoms of thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, and problems involving the eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
Metabolic Syndromes
A combination of risk factors that can lead to heart disease; notably obesity, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance (which can lead to diabetes).
Neurogenesis
The process of generating new neurons across the life span.
Hippocampus
Structure in the medial temporal lobe of the brain centrally involved in the formation of memories.
Prostate Glands
Part of the male reproductive system, which secretes prostate fluid that mixes with sperm to produce semen.
PMS
Several symptoms experienced shortly before each menstrual period that include having tender breasts, feeling bloated, and being irritable and moody.
PDD
Severe form of premenstrual syndrome that includes affective symptoms in addition to physical symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle and that can be disabling or disruptive to work and relationships.
Menopause
The ending of a woman’s menstrual periods and reproductive capacity around age 51.
Hot Flash
A sudden experience of warmth and sweating, often followed by a cold shiver, that occurs during menopause in women.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Taking estrogen and progestin to compensate for hormone loss because of menopause in wome
Andropause
The slower and less-dramatic male counterpart of menopause, characterized by decreasing levels of testosterone and symptoms that include low libido, fatigue and lack of energy, erection problems, memory problems, and loss of pubic hair.
Erectile Dysfunction
A man’s inability to achieve or sustain an erection for intercourse, despite having sufficient levels of testosterone.
Osteoarthritis
A joint problem among older adults resulting from a gradual deterioration of the cartilage that cushions the bones and keeps them from rubbing together.
Osteoporosis
A disease affecting older adults in which bone tissue is lost, leaving bones fragile and easily fractured.
Health Disparity
A difference in health status or health outcome that is associated with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage.
Culturally competent care
Care that is attuned to a patient’s diversity and the cultural factors that might affect their health and provision of healthcare.
Centenarian
An individual who lives to be 100 years of age.
