Labor and Delivery Flashcards
birth prior to the 37th week of gestation; prematurely
preterm birth
birth after the 42nd week of gestation
postterm birth
use of medications to stop labor
tocolysis
abnormal slowing of the heart rate to less and 60 beats per minute
bradycardia
rapid heart rate
tachycardia
structural abnormalities of the uterus that cause a difficult labor or childbirth
dystocia
high blood sugar level
hyperglycemia
low blood sugar level
hypoglycemia
illness of late pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure with swelling and or protein in the mother’s urine; also known as toxemia of pregnancy
preeclampsia
infection of the amniotic sac
chorioamnionitis
also known as abruption placenta; the premature detachment of a normally situated placenta
placental abruption
placenta is implanted in the lower segment of the uterus, extending over the cervical opening and often leading to bleeding during labor
placenta previa
abnormal adherence of the chorionic villi to the uterus
placenta accrete
medical complication of an illness
morbidity
the thick, tarry stool formed during fetal life, which is not normally passed until after birth
meconium
downward position of the infant’s head during vaginal delivery
vertex position
substance that coats the alveoli in the lungs, keeping them open
surfactant
life support technique involving putting a patient onto a heart-lung bypass machine
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation - ECMO
scoring system with a score range of 0-10 used to assess neurological status of a newborn
Apgar score
a disorder/disease of the brain
encephalopathy
acute brain malfunction often resulting in coma, caused by acute reduction in the blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain
hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain, leading to the enlargement of the head in infants
hydrocephalus
yellowing of the complexion and/or white of the eyes due to hyperbilirubinemia
jaundice
excess accumulation of bilirubin in the blood that can result in jaundice or kernicterus
hyperbilirubinemia
yellow staining of certain central parts of the brain resulting from excess accumulation of bilirubin in the blood.
kernicterus
term used to describe and infant with a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams (5 1/2 pounds)
Low Birth Weight (LBW)
term used to describe an infant with a birth weight of less than 1500 grams (3 1/2 pounds)
very low birth weight (VLBW)
term used to describe an infant with a birth weight less than 1000 grams (2 1/4 pounds)
extremely low birth weight (ELBW)
term used to describe an infant with a birth weight of less than 800 grams (1 3/4 pounds).
micropreemie
a newborn whose weight is below the third percentile for gestational age
small-for-gestational-age (SGA)
first signs of birth felt by the mother during the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy resulting from fetal movements
quickening
hemorrhage into the cerebral ventricles
intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH)
injury to part of the brain near the ventricles caused by the lack of oxygen, primarily occurring in premature infants
Periventricular leukomalacia
diagnosis given to a previously well infant, often a former premature baby, who is found lifeless in bed without apparent cause
Sudden infant death syndrome SIDS
persistence of a fetal passage permitting blood to bypass the lungs
patent ductus arteriosus
too much acid in the blood stream
acidosis
inadequate supply of oxygen reaching the body’s tisssues
hypoxia
disorder in which blood has either too few red blood cells or too little hemoglobin
anemia
low blood calcium level
hypocalcaemia
excessively low body temperature
hypothermia
