Notes
- Abortion - Spontaneous or induced termination of pregnancy before fetus reaches viability
- Chloasma - Mask of pregnancy
- Crowning - Presentation of fetal head at vaginal introitus
- CST - Contraction stress test
- Deceleration - Decrease in fetal heart rate
- Dilation - Widening of cervical os and canal
- Eclampsia - Seizures secondary to hypertension
- EDD or EDC - Estimated date of delivery or confinement
- Embryo phase - Wk 3–8
- Effacement - Shortening and thinning of cervix
- Fetus phase - From wk 9 until delivery
- FHR - Fetal heart rate
- FHT - Fetal heart tone
- Gravida - Number of all pregnancies, regardless of outcome, including current pregnancy (gravidity)
- GTPAL - Gravidity, term births, preterm births, abortions or miscarriages, living children
- HCG - Human chorionic gonadotropin
- HELLP - Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, lowered platelets (bleeding disorder similar to DIC)
- Homans’ sign - Pain elicited by dorsiflexion of foot
- Hyperemesis gravidarum - Excessive nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy
- IDM - Infant of diabetic mother
- Involution - Return of uterus to nonpregnant size
- Lanugo - Soft, downy body hair of newborn infant
- LGA - Large for gestational age
- LNMP (LMP) - Last normal menstrual period
- L:S ratio - Lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio: determines fetal lung maturity (2:1 ratio desirable)
- MAb - Miscarriage abortion
- Macrosomia - Birth weight >4000 g
- Meconium - Fetal defecation in utero during labor that occurs with fetal distress
- Miscarriage - Spontaneous abortion
- Multigravida - Has been pregnant more than once
- Multipara - Two or more pregnancies beyond 20 wk
- Nidation - Implantation: occurs 7–10 days after conception
- NST - Nonstress test
- Nullipara - Never produced a viable offspring
- OCT - Oxytocin challenge test
- Operculum - Mucus plug
- Organogenesis - Wk 3–8
- Para - Number of viable births >20 wk (parity)
- Pica - Ingestion of non-nutritive substances
- PIH - Pregnancy-induced hypertension (see Preeclampsia this section)
- Post-term - Gestation lasting >42 wk
- POC - Product of conception
- Pre-eclampsia - Mild: ≥140/90 mm Hg; severe: ≥160/110 mm Hg
- Pre-term - Born before beginning of 38th wk
- Primigravida - First pregnancy ever
- Primipara - Only one pregnancy carried >20 wk
- PTL - Preterm labor
- Puerperal period - ≤21–42 days postpartum
- ROM - Rupture of membranes (1000 mL at term)
- SGA - Small for gestational age
- Station, fetal - Relation of presenting part to maternal pelvic ischial spines
- Striae - Stretch marks
- Supine hypotension - Caused by compression of vena cava; relieved by positioning mother in lateral recumbent position
- TAb - Therapeutic abortion
- Teratogenic - Harmful to developing embryo
- TPAL - Term, preterm births, abortions or miscarriages, living children
- Trimester - One of three phases of pregnancy, each consisting of 13 wk
- Variability - Refers to irregularities in fetal heart rate
- Vernix - Cheeselike coating on newborn’s skin
- Viability - Pregnancy lasting ≥24 wk of gestation
- Viable fetus - Uncompromised fetus ≥24 wk