Prenatal & Birth

Question 1

A couple’s inability to get pregnant after a year of trying to do so.

Answer 1

infertility

Question 2

A method of conception that involves injecting sperm from a woman’s partner or from a donor into the uterus.

Answer 2

artificial insemination

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Question 4

First phase of prenatal development, lasting about 2 weeks from conception until the developing organism becomes attached to the wall of the uterus.

Answer 4

germinal period

Question 5

A hollow sphere of about 100 to 150 cells that the zygote forms by rapid cell division as it moves through the fallopian tube.

Answer 5

blastocyst

Question 6

Loss of a pregnancy before survival of the baby outside the womb is possible.

Answer 6

miscarriage

Question 7

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.

Answer 7

embryonic period

Question 8

The process, occurring during the period of the embryo, in which every major organ takes shape in a primitive form.

Answer 8

organogenesis

Question 9

A watertight membrane that surrounds the developing embryo, regulating its temperature and cushioning it against injuries.

Answer 9

amnion

Question 10

A membrane that surrounds the amnion and becomes attached to the uterine lining to gather nourishment for the embryo.

Answer 10

chorion

Question 11

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.

Answer 11

placenta

Question 12

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.

Answer 12

spina bifida

Question 13

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.

Answer 13

anencephaly

Question 14

The most important of the male hormones, or androgens; essential for normal sexual development during the prenatal period and at puberty.

Answer 14

testosterone

Question 15

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.

Answer 15

fetal period

Question 16

In brain development, the progressive diversification of cells that results in their taking on different characteristics and functions.

Answer 16

differentiation

Question 17

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.

Answer 17

age of viability

Question 18

A fatty sheath that insulates neural axons and thereby speeds the transmission of neural impulses.

Answer 18

myelin

Question 19

The physical environment of the womb.

Answer 19

prenatal environment

Question 20

Any disease, drug, or other environmental agent that can harm a developing fetus.

Answer 20

teratogen

Question 21

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.

Answer 21

critical period

Question 22

A mild tranquilizer that, taken early in pregnancy, can produce a variety of malformations of the limbs, eyes, ears, and heart.

Answer 22

thalidomide

Question 23

The death of a sleeping baby because of a failure of

the respiratory system; linked to maternal smoking.

Answer 23

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Question 24

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.

Answer 24

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

Question 25

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.

Answer 25

rubella

Question 26

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.

Answer 26

syphilis

Question 27

Prepared childbirth in which parents attend classes and learn mental exercises and relaxation techniques to ease delivery.

Answer 27

Lamaze method

Question 28

The environment surrounding birth.

Answer 28

perinatal environment

Question 29

Fetal death that occurs late in pregnancy when survival outside womb would normally have been possible.

Answer 29

stillbirth

Question 30

A maternal-fetal specialist who focuses on high-risk pregnancies.

Answer 30

perinatologist

Question 31

A lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain

that may result in neurological damage or death.

Answer 31

anoxia

Question 32

A delivery in which the fetus emerges feet first or buttocks first rather than head first.

Answer 32

breech presentation

Question 33

A neurological disability caused by anoxia that is associated with difficulty controlling muscle movements.

Answer 33

cerebral palsy

Question 34

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.

Answer 34

cesarean section

Question 35

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.

Answer 35

postpartum depression

Question 36

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).

Answer 36

couvade

Question 37

Pertaining to events or developments in the first month after birth.

Answer 37

neonatal

Question 38

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.

Answer 38

at risk

Question 39

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.

Answer 39

Apgar test

Question 40

A weight at birth of less than 2500 grams, or 5 ½ pounds, associated with increased risk of developmental problems.

Answer 40

low birth weight (LBW)

Question 41

A substance that aids breathing by preventing the air sacs of the lungs from sticking together.

Answer 41

surfactant

Question 42

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.

Answer 42

kangaroo care