| adoption | The process of voluntarily taking a child of other parents as one's own.
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| AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) | Disease caused by the HIV virus, which can invade a newborn baby's immune system, thus making it vulnerable to infections and life-threatening illnesses.
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| amniocentesis | Fetal testing procedure that involves inserting a needle through the woman's abdomen, piercing the amniotic sac, and withdrawing a sample of amniotic fluid.
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| amniotic sac | Fluid-filled uterine sac that surrounds the embryo/fetus.
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| assisted reproduction technologies | External fertilization procedures; fertilization occurs with help outside the woman's body.
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| blastocyst | The fertilized egg when it reaches the uterus (about 7 days after conception).
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| chorionic villi sampling (CVS) | A prenatal test that examines a small section of the embryo's outer layer.
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| chromosomes | Threadlike structures in the cell that come in 23 pairs (46 total) and contain the genetic material DNA. Each parent contributes half of each chromosome pair.
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| closed adoption | Adoption procedures in which the biological parents know nothing about the adopting parents.
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| cystic fibrosis (CF) | Chromosomal disorder producing a malfunction of the exocrine glands.
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| cytomegalovirus (CMV) | A widespread infection, often unrecognized in pregnant women, that can cause severe fetal damage.
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| DES (diethylstilbestrol) | A synthetic hormone that was administered to pregnant women in the late 1940s and 1950s supposedly to prevent miscarriage. It was later found that the daughters of the women who had received this treatment were more susceptible to vaginal and cervical cancer.
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| developmental risk | Risk to children's well-being involving a range of damaging biopsychosocial conditions.
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| DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) | A molecule with the shape of a double helix that contains genetic information.
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| Down syndrome | Chromosomal disorder caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.
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| embryonic period | 3rd through the 8th week following fertilization.
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| fallopian tube | Either of a pair of tubes that join the ovary to the uterus.
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| fetal alcohol syndrome | The condition of babies whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy that is characterized by growth deficiencies, physical abnormalities, and CNS dysfunction.
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| fetal period | Period that extends from beginning of the 3rd month to birth.
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| fragile X syndrome | Chromosomal disorder caused by an impaired X chromosome.
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| fraternal twins | Twins who develop from two eggs fertilized by separate sperm; individuals do not share identical genetic makeup.
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| gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) | An ART technique in which sperm and egg are surgically placed in a fallopian tube with the intent of achieving fertilization.
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| gene | A segment of DNA that is a unit of hereditary information.
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| genital herpes | Infection that can be contracted by a fetus during delivery; the infant can develop symptoms during the first week following the birth.
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| genome | All of the hereditary information needed to maintain a living organism.
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| genotype | A person's genetic makeup that is invisible to the naked eye.
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| germinal period | First two weeks following fertilization.
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| HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) | Virus that attacks T cells of the human immune system.
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| identical twins | Twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that divides after conception; individuals share identical genetic makeup.
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| implantation | Attachment of the fertilized egg to the uterine wall.
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| infertility | Inability to achieve pregnancy after 1 year of unprotected intercourse.
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| intrauterine insemination (IUI) | An ART technique in which sperm are injected directly into the uterus as part of the fertilization procedure.
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| in vitro fertilization (IVF) | An ART technique in which fertilization occurs in a petri dish and the resulting embryos are transferred to the woman's uterus.
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| Klinefelter syndrome | Chromosomal disorder in males caused by an XXY chromosomal pattern.
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| meiosis | Cell division in which the number of chromosomes is halved to 23.
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| mitosis | Cell division in which the number of chromosomes remains the same (46).
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| mutation | A change in DNA, affecting the genes, that occurs during mitosis by accident or because of environmental factors.
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| open adoption | Adoption procedure in which biological parents have considerable input into the adoption process.
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| organogenesis | Process by which organs are formed; occurs around 6 to 7 weeks of pregnancy.
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| ovulation | The process in which the egg bursts from the surface of the ovary.
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| phenotype | A person's observable characteristics or traits.
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| phenylketonuria (PKU) | Inherited disease caused by a gene mutation.
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| placenta | Supplies the embryo with all its needs, carries off all its wastes, and protects it from harm.
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| rubella | (also known as German measles) An infectious disease that can cause serious birth defects. If a woman contracts the disease during pregnancy, extremely dangerous to a fetus during the first trimester.
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| sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) | Diseases that may cause infertility.
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| sickle-cell disease | Blood disorder resulting in abnormal hemoglobin.
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| spina bifida | Genetic disorder resulting in the failure of the spinal column to close completely.
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| STORCH diseases | Syphilis, toxoplasmosis, other infections, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes.
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| surrogate mother | A woman who carries another woman's fetus.
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| syphilis | Sexually transmitted disease that, if untreated, may adversely affect the fetus.
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| Tay-Sachs | Genetic disorder caused by the lack of an enzyme that breaks down fatty material in the CNS.
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| teratogens | Any environmental agents that harm the embryo or fetus.
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| thalidomide | Popular drug prescribed during the early 1960s that was later found to cause a variety of birth defects when taken by women early in their pregnancies.
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| toxoplasmosis | Infection caused by a parasite; may cause damage to a fetus.
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| Turner syndrome | Chromosomal disorder in females caused by an XO chromosomal pattern.
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| ultrasound | Use of sound waves and special equipment to produce an image that enables a physician to detect internal structural abnormalities.
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| umbilical cord | Contains blood vessels that go to and from the mother through the arteries and veins supplying the placenta.
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| XYY syndrome | Chromosomal disorder in males caused by an extra Y chromosome.
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| zygote | The cell that results when an egg is fertilized by a sperm.
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