Birth Injury Glossary

- Posture or movement that deviates from the norm; also used to describe “jerky” movements

- Any position in labor where the fetus is not face-down, turned toward the mother’s back. Abnormal positions include: breech (feet first), transverse lie (sideways), brow, and face. Babies born in an abnormal position have a higher risk of acquiring neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy

- A condition where the blood type of the fetus doesn’t match the blood type of the mother. In some cases, ABO Blood Type Incompatibility can be a risk factor for cerebral palsy

- Premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall.

- See above definition for Abruptio Placentae, Placental Abruption, iterplacental apolplexy or Couvelaire uterus.

- Increased acidity of the blood. Acidemia cannot occur without acidosis. Symptoms of both conditions include nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.

- Increased acidity in the blood, caused either by excessive acid production or a depletion of bicarbonates (alkaline reserves).

- The sum total of the basic ions of the blood and other bodily fluids that act as buffers and maintain the normal pH of the blood.

- The opposite of acidosis; a condition where the body fluids have too much base. Symptoms of alkalosis include: confusion, muscle twitching, nausea, and lightheadedness.

- A method of measuring the amount of amniotic fluid during pregnancy. Normal measurements are between 5 and 25 cm. The AFI also serves as a rough index for the fetus’s well-being.

- A type of protein made by the liver, that helps moves small molecules through the blood. Albumin also prevents the blood’s fluid from leaking into tissues.

- A foreign substance that causes an allergy.

- A thin, fluid-filled sac that contains the embryo or fetus. Amnions are suspended in the uterus.

- The intentional rupture of the amniotic sac, in order to induce or accelerate labor. Amniotomies are usually painless.

- The relief of pain without a loss of consciousness. In childbirth, an anesthetic solution (“epidural”) is injected into the spine in order to reduce pain, while the mother remains conscious.

- A condition in which the body does not produce enough healthy red blood cells. (Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues.) Symptoms include chest pain, dizziness and fatigue.

- A reduction of oxygen supply to the brain (“hypoxia”), as a result of anemia. Hypoxia can puts infants at a higher risk of getting Cerebral Palsy.

- An extreme lack of energy; also can mean a failed reaction to an injected allergen or antigen.

- A protein produced in the blood or tissues in response to a specific antigen. Antibodies destroy and weaken poisons; thereby giving the body immunity.

- A substance that stimulates the immune system to manufacture antibodies

- A system used to evaluate a newborn’s physical condition upon birth. The system assigns a value (0, 1, or 2) to each of five criteria: heart rate, muscle tone, respiratory effort, response to stimuli, and color. The higher the score, the better.

- An irregularity in the rhythm of the heartbeat. Also could be an irregularity in a heartbeat’s force.

- A tubular, elastic vessel which carries blood away from the heart and through the body.

- A lack of oxygen to the brain during birth (severe hypoxia), which in severe cases can cause cerebral palsy.

- To remove fluid from a body cavity, either using a needle or suction device.

- A type of cerebral palsy characterized by “tremors,” or prolonged shaky movements. Children with ataxic cerebral palsy often walk unsteadily, and set their feet unusually far apart. Those with ataxic CP (about 5 - 10 percent of all cases) also have trouble holding small objects.

- A type of cerebral palsy marked by involuntary, uncontrolled movements, especially in the face, arms and hips. These writhing movements often interfere with speaking, feeding, grasping, and other motor skills. Children with athetoid CP (about 10 percent of all CP cases) also have low muscle tone and tend to have problems sitting and walking.

- The forcible tearing away of a body part by accident, or by surgery.