| abortion | Spontaneous or deliberate
termination of pregnancy; a spontaneous abortion is
commonly termed a miscarriage.
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| abruptio placentae | Premature separation of the placenta from the
uterine wall.
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| amniocentesis | Technique in
which a sample of amniotic fluid is withdrawn from
the amniotic cavity by inserting a hollow needle
through the pregnant woman’s abdominal wall.
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| cesarean section | Delivery of a
fetus through an abdominal incision.
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| dizygotic twins | Twins resulting
from the fertilization of two ova by two sperm cells.
(fraternal twins)
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| eclampsia | Condition characterized
by convulsions and coma that sometimes
accompanies toxemia of pregnancy.
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| gestation | Entire period of pregnancy.
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| hydatidiform mole | Abnormal pregnancy resulting from a pathologic
ovum; a mass of cysts.
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| hydramnios | Excess amniotic fluid.
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| hyperemesis gravidarum | Vomiting associated with pregnancy; morning
sickness.
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| intrauterine transfusion | Transfusion administered by injecting
blood into the fetal peritoneal cavity before birth.
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| lochia | Vaginal discharge following
childbirth.
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| meconium | Anal discharge from the
digestive tract of a full-term fetus or a newborn.
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| monozygotic twins | Twins
resulting from one sperm cell fertilizing one egg
cell, which then splits. (identical twins)
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| perinatology | Branch of medicine
concerned with the fetus after twenty-five weeks of
development and with the newborn for the first four
weeks after birth.
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| postpartum | Occurring after birth.
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| teratology | Study of substances that
cause abnormal development and congenital
malformations.
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| toxemia of pregnancy | Group of
metabolic disturbances that may occur during
pregnancy.
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| trimester | Each third of the total period
of pregnancy.
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| ultrasonography | Technique
used to visualize the size and position of fetal
structures from patterns of deflected ultrasonic
waves.
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