(See related pages)
|
|
|
| amnion | The life-support system that is a bag or envelope that contains a clear fluid in which the developing embryo floats. (See page(s) 95) |
| |
| |
| |
| Apgar Scale | A widely used method to assess the health of newborns at one and five minutes after birth. The Apgar Scale evaluates infants' heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, body colour, and reflex irritability. (See page(s) 116) |
| |
| |
| |
| blastocyst | The inner layer of cells that develops during the germinal period. These cells later develop into the embryo. (See page(s) 94) |
| |
| |
| |
| bonding | Close contact, especially physical, between parents and their newborn in the period shortly after birth. (See page(s) 121) |
| |
| |
| |
| Brazelton Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale | A test given 24 to 36 hours after birth to assess newborns' neurological development, reflexes, and reactions to people. (See page(s) 116) |
| |
| |
| |
| breech position | The baby's position in the uterus that causes the buttocks to be the first part to emerge from the vagina. (See page(s) 112) |
| |
| |
| |
| doula | A caregiver who provides continuous physical, emotional, and educational support to the mother before, during, and just after childbirth. (See page(s) 110) |
| |
| |
| |
| embryonic period | The period of prenatal development that occurs two to eight weeks after conception. During the embryonic period, the rate of cell differentiation intensifies, support systems for the cells form, and organs appear. (See page(s) 95) |
| |
| |
| |
| fetal period | The prenatal period of development that begins two months after conception and lasts for seven months, on average. (See page(s) 96) |
| |
| |
| |
| germinal period | The period of prenatal development that takes place in the first two weeks after conception. It includes the creation of the zygote, continued cell division, and the attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall. (See page(s) 94) |
| |
| |
| |
| intersex condition | A term used to describe a range of conditions, including ambiguous genatalia, and which makes determining gender difficult and complex, often reliant on a team of medical practitioners in consultation with parents, and perhaps the individual him or herself. Hermaphodite and Intermediate Sex are two other terms used to describe the condition. (See page(s) 114) |
| |
| |
| |
| low-birth-weight infant | An infant born after a regular period of gestation (the length of time between conception and birth) of 38 to 42 weeks but who weighs less than 2.5 kg. (See page(s) 113) |
| |
| |
| |
| midwife | Nurses who have been specially trained in delivering babies. (See page(s) 110) |
| |
| |
| |
| natural childbirth | Developed in 1914 by Dick-Read, this method attempts to reduce the mother's pain by decreasing her fear through education about childbirth and by relaxation techniques during delivery. (See page(s) 111) |
| |
| |
| |
| organogenesis | Organ formation that takes place during the first two months of prenatal development. (See page(s) 96) |
| |
| |
| |
| placenta | A life-support system that consists of a disc-shaped group of tissues in which small blood vessels from the mother and offspring intertwine. (See page(s) 95) |
| |
| |
| |
| postpartum depression | Characteristic of women who have such strong feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair, that for at least a two-week period they have trouble coping with daily tasks in the postpartum period. (See page(s) 119) |
| |
| |
| |
| postpartum period | The period after childbirth when the mother adjusts, both physically and psychologically, to the process of childbirth. This period lasts for about six weeks or until her body has completed its adjustment and returned to a near prepregnant state. (See page(s) 118) |
| |
| |
| |
| prepared childbirth | Developed by French obstetrician Ferdinand Lamaze, this childbirth strategy is similar to natural childbirth but includes a special breathing technique to control pushing in the final stages of labour and a more detailed anatomy and physiology course. (See page(s) 111) |
| |
| |
| |
| preterm infant | An infant born prior to 38 weeks after conception. (See page(s) 113) |
| |
| |
| |
| teratogen | From the Greek word tera, meaning "monster." Any agent that causes a disability or impairment before birth. The field of study that investigates the causes of birth variations is called teratology. (See page(s) 98) |
| |
| |
| |
| trophoblast | The outer layer of cells that develops in the germinal period. These cells provide nutrition and support for the embryo. (See page(s) 94) |
| |
| |
| |
| umbilical cord | A life-support system containing two arteries and one vein that connects the baby to the placenta. (See page(s) 95) |