A premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus
Abruptio placenta
The fluid-filled, baglike membrane in which the fetus devolps
Amniotic Sac
A scoring system for assessing the status of a newborn that assigns a number value to each of five areas of assessment
Apgar Score
The vagina and cervix
Birth canal
A small amount of blood at the vagina that appears at the beginning of labor and may include a plug of pink -tinged mucus that is discharged when the cervix begins to dilate
Bloody Show
A delivery in which the buttocks comes out first
Breech presentation
Narrowest portion of the uterus that opens into the vagina
Cervix
The appearance of the infant’s head at the vaginal opening during labor
Crowning
Seizures (convulsions) resulting from severe hypertension in a pregnant woman
Eclampsia
A pregnancy that develops outside the uterus, typically in a Fallopian tube
Ectopic prgnancy
The fertilzed egg that is the early stage of a fetus
Embryo
The lining of the inside of the uterus
Endometrium
A condition of infants who are born to women who consume alcohol during pregnancy; characterized by growth and physical problems, mental retardation and a variety of congenital abnormalities
Fetal alcohol syndrome
The developing, unborn infant inside the uterus
Fetus
The dome shaped top of the uterus
Fundus
Diabetes that develops during pregnancy in women who did not have diabetes before pregnacny
Gestational diabetes
A sensation felt by a pregnant patient when the fetus positions itself for delivery
Lightening
A delivery in which the presenting part is a single arm, leg or foot
Limb presentation
A dark green material in the amniotic fluid that can indicate distress or disease in the newborn; the meconium can be aspirated into the infant’s lung during delivery; the infants first bowel movenment
Meconium
The passage of the fetus and placenta before 20 weeks; spontaneous abortion
Miscarriage
A woman who has had previous pregnancies
Multigravida
An umbilical that is wrapped around the infants neck
Nuchal cord
The tissue attached to the uterine wall that nourishes the fetus through the umbilical cord.
Placenta
A condition in which the placenta develops over and covers the cervix
Placenta previa
A condition of late pregnancy that involves headache, visual changes and swelling of the hands and feet; also called pregnancy-induced hypertension
Preeclampsia
A condition of late pregnancy that involves headache, visual changes and swelling of the hands and feet; also called preeclampsia
Pregnancy-induced hypertension
The position in which an infant is born; the part of the infant that appears first
Presentation
A woman who is experiencing her first pregnancy
Primagravida
A situation in which the umbilical cord comes out of the vagina before the infant
Prolapse of the umbilical cord
A developmental defect in which a portion of the spinal cord or meninges may protrude outside of the vertebrae and possibly even outside of the body, usually at the lower third of the lumbar area
Spina bifida
Low blood pressure resulting from compression of the inferior vena cava by the weight of the pregnant uterus when the mother is supine
Supine hypotensive syndrome
The conduit connecting mother to infant via the placenta; contains two arteries and one vein
Umbilical cord
A delivery in which the head comes out first
Vertex presntation