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Here are a list of a-z of some pregnancy terms you may hear
while you are pregnant and some you will never hear of.
I
- Immune globulin preparation: Substance used to protect against infection
with certain diseases, such as hepatitis or measles.
- In utero: Within the uterus.
- Incompetent cervix: Cervix that dilates painlessly, without contractions.
- Incomplete abortion: Miscarriage in which part, but not all, of the uterine
contents are expelled.
- Inevitable abortion: Pregnancy complicated with bleeding and cramping.
Usually results in miscarriage.
- Insulin: Peptide hormone made by the pancreas. It promotes the use of
glucose.
- Invasive squamous-cell carcinoma: Cancer of the cervix that extends beyond
the cervix into surrounding tissues or deeper layers.
- Iron-deficiency anemia: Anemia produced by lack of iron in the diet. Often
seen in pregnancy.
- Isoimmunization: Development of specific antibody directed at the red
blood cells of another individual, such as a baby in utero. Often occurs when
an Ph-negative woman carries an Ph-positive baby or is given Rh-positive
blood.
J
- Jaundice: Yellow staining of the skin, sclera (eyes) and deeper tissues of the
body. Caused by excessive amounts of bilirubin. Treated with phototherapy.
K
- Ketones: Breakdown product of metabolism found in the blood, particularly
in starvation or uncontrolled diabetes.
- Kidney stones: Small mass or lesion found in the kidney or urinary tract. Can
block the flow of urine.
L
- Laaoo: Process of expelling a fetus from the uterus.
- Laparoscopy: Minor surgical procedure performed for tubal ligation,
diagnosis of pelvic pain or diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.
- Leukorrhea: Vaginal discharge characterized by a white or yellowish colour.
Primarily composed of mucus.
- Lightening: Change in the shape of the pregnant uterus a few weeks before
labour. Often described as the baby "dropping."
- Linea nigra: line of increased pigmentation running down the abdomen from
the bellybutton to the pubic area during pregnancy.
M
- Malignant GTN: Cancerous change of gestational trophoblastic disease.
- Mammogram: X-ray study of the breasts to identify normal and abnormal
breasttissue.
- Mask of pregnancy: Increased pigmentation over the area of the face under
each eye. Commonly has the appearance of a butterfly.
- Meconium: First intestinal discharge of the newborn; green or yellow in
colour. It consists of epithelial or surface cells, mucus and bile. Discharge
may occur before or during labour or soon after birth.
- Melanoma: Pigmented mole or tumor. It may or may not be cancerous.
- Meningomyelocele: Congenital defect of the central nervous system of the
baby. Membranes and the spinal cord protrude through an opening or defect
in the vertebral column.
- Menstruation: Regular or Periodic discharge of a bloody fluid from the
uterus.
- Mesodermal germ layer: Tissue of the embryo that forms connective tissue,
muscles, kidneys, ureters and other organs.
- Metaplasia: Change in the structure of a tissue into another type that is not
normal for that tissue.
- Microcephaly: Abnormally small development of the head in the developing
fetus.
- Microphthalmia: Abnormally small eyeballs.
- Miscarriage: See Abortion.
- Missed abortion: Failed pregnancy without bleeding or cramping. Often
diagnosed by ultrasound weeks or months after a pregnancy fails.
- Mittelschmerz: Pain that coincides with release of an egg from the ovary.
- Monilial vulvovaginitis: Infection caused by yeast or monilia. Usually
affects the vagina and vulva.
- Monozygotic twins: Twins conceived from one egg. Often called identical
twins.
- Morning sickness: Nausea and vomiting, with ill health, found primarily
during the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Moruaa: Cells resulting from the early division of the fertilized egg at the
beginning of pregnancy.
- Mucus plug: Secretions in cervix; often released just before labour.
- Mutations: Change in the character of a gene. Passed from one cell division
to another.
N
- Neural-tube defects: Abnormalities in the development of the spinal cord
and brain in a fetus. See Anencephaly; Hydrocephalus; Spina bifida.
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Article written By Michlle Graham
http://www.brahoo.co.uk
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