Prenatal & Birth Flashcards
A couple’s inability to get pregnant after a year of trying to do so.
infertility
A method of conception that involves injecting sperm from a woman’s partner or from a donor into the uterus.
artificial insemination
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.
in vitro fertilization (IVF)
First phase of prenatal development, lasting about 2 weeks from conception until the developing organism becomes attached to the wall of the uterus.
germinal period
A hollow sphere of about 100 to 150 cells that the zygote forms by rapid cell division as it moves through the fallopian tube.
blastocyst
Loss of a pregnancy before survival of the baby outside the womb is possible.
miscarriage
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.
embryonic period
The process, occurring during the period of the embryo, in which every major organ takes shape in a primitive form.
organogenesis
A watertight membrane that surrounds the developing embryo, regulating its temperature and cushioning it against injuries.
amnion
A membrane that surrounds the amnion and becomes attached to the uterine lining to gather nourishment for the embryo.
chorion
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.
placenta
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.
spina bifida
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.
anencephaly
The most important of the male hormones, or androgens; essential for normal sexual development during the prenatal period and at puberty.
testosterone
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.
fetal period
In brain development, the progressive diversification of cells that results in their taking on different characteristics and functions.
differentiation
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.
age of viability
A fatty sheath that insulates neural axons and thereby speeds the transmission of neural impulses.
myelin
The physical environment of the womb.
prenatal environment
Any disease, drug, or other environmental agent that can harm a developing fetus.
teratogen
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.
critical period
A mild tranquilizer that, taken early in pregnancy, can produce a variety of malformations of the limbs, eyes, ears, and heart.
thalidomide
The death of a sleeping baby because of a failure of
the respiratory system; linked to maternal smoking.
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
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 mental retardation.
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
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 to 4 months of gestation; German measles.
rubella
A common sexually transmitted disease that may cross the placental barrier in the middle and later stages of pregnancy, causing miscarriage or serious birth defects.
syphilis
Prepared childbirth in which parents attend classes and learn mental exercises and relaxation techniques to ease delivery.
Lamaze method
The environment surrounding birth.
perinatal environment
Fetal death that occurs late in pregnancy when survival outside womb would normally have been possible.
stillbirth
A maternal-fetal specialist who focuses on high-risk pregnancies.
perinatologist
A lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain
that may result in neurological damage or death.
anoxia
A delivery in which the fetus emerges feet first or buttocks first rather than head first.
breech presentation
A neurological disability caused by anoxia that is associated with difficulty controlling muscle movements.
cerebral palsy
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.
cesarean section
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.
postpartum depression
Sympathetic pregnancy, or the experiencing by fathers of some of the same physiological symptoms their pregnant partners experience (bloating, weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, and nausea).
couvade
Pertaining to events or developments in the first month after birth.
neonatal
Children who have a higher than normal chance of either short-term or long-term problems because of genetic defects, prenatal hazards, or perinatal damage.
at risk
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.
Apgar test
A weight at birth of less than 2500 grams, or 5 ½ pounds, associated with increased risk of developmental problems.
low birth weight (LBW)
A substance that aids breathing by preventing the air sacs of the lungs from sticking together.
surfactant
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.
kangaroo care
