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Hyaluronidase  An enzyme secreted by the sperm that allows one sperm to penetrate the egg.
Zygote  A fertilized egg.
Placenta (plah-SEN-tuh)  An organ formed on the wall of the uterus through which the fetus receives oxygen and nutrients and gets rid of waste products.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)  A hormone secreted by the placenta; it is the hormone detected in pregnancy tests.
Umbilical cord  The tube that connects the fetus to the placenta.
Amniotic fluid  The watery fluid surrounding a developing fetus in the uterus.
Edema (eh-DEE-muh)  Excessive fluid retention and swelling.
Colostrum  A watery substance that is secreted from the breasts at the end of pregnancy and during the first few days after delivery.
Braxton-Hicks contractions  Contractions of the uterus during pregnancy that are not part of actual labor.
Teratogen  A substance that produces defects in a fetus.
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)  Serious growth deficiency and malformations in the child of a mother who abuses alcohol during pregnancy.
Effacement  A thinning out of the cervix during labor.
Dilation  An opening up of the cervix during labor; also called dilatation.
First-stage labor  The beginning of labor, during which there are regular contractions of the uterus; the stage lasts until the cervix is dilated 8 centimeters (3 inches).
Transition  The difficult part of labor at the end of the first stage, during which the cervix dilates from 8 to 10 centimeters (3 to 4 inches).
Second-stage labor  The stage during which the baby moves out through the vagina and is delivered.
Episiotomy (ih-pee-see-AH-tuh-mee)  An incision made in the skin just behind the vagina, allowing the baby to be delivered more easily.
Third-stage labor  The stage during which the afterbirth is expelled.
Cesarean section (C section)  A method of delivering a baby surgically, by an incision in the abdomen.
Lamaze method  A method of "prepared" childbirth involving relaxation and controlled breathing.
Primipara  A woman having her first baby.
Postpartum depression  Mild to moderate depression in women following the birth of a baby.
Ectopic pregnancy  A pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus.
Pseudocyesis  False pregnancy, in which the woman displays the signs of pregnancy but is not actually pregnant.
Preeclampsia  A serious disease of pregnancy, marked by high blood pressure, severe edema, and proteinuria.
Amniocentesis (am-nee-oh-sen-TEE-sus)  A test done to determine whether a fetus has birth defects; done by inserting a fine tube into the woman's abdomen in order to obtain a sample of amniotic fluid.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)  A technique for prenatal diagnosis of birth defects, involving taking a sample of cells from the chorionic villus and analyzing them.
Miscarriage  The termination of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable, as a result of natural causes (not medical intervention).
Infertility  A woman's inability to conceive and give birth to a living child, or a man's inability to impregnate a woman.
Artificial insemination  Procedure in which sperm are placed into the vagina by means other than sexual intercourse.
Embryo transfer  A procedure in which an embryo is transferred from the uterus of one woman into the uterus of another.
In vitro fertilization (IVF)  A procedure in which an egg is fertilized by sperm in a laboratory dish.
GIFT  Gamete intrafallopian transfer, a procedure in which sperm and eggs are collected and then inserted together into the fallopian tube.







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