Birth Injury Glossary - I
Understanding Birth Injury Terms and Definitions
The material contained in medical records and research materials usually contains words that are unfamiliar and new. The Cerebral Palsy Glossary contains definitions of terms and acronyms that are commonly associated with cerebral palsy.
Idiopathic Respiratory Distress of Newborn (RDS)
- A condition commonly seen in premature infants whose lungs have not fully developed. If not treated correctly, RDS can result in delayed mental development. Breathing machines can often be lifesaving for infants with RDS.
Induction
- The act of causing or bringing about labor, often using the drug oxytocin.
Inferior Vena Cava
(See “Vena Cava”)
- The process of inserting two electronic catheters through the vagina and cervix to measure a fetus’s vital signs. One of the catheters is attached to the baby’s scalp in order to measure the fetal heart rate; the second is placed between the fetus and the wall of the uterus, and measures the rate and intensity of uterine contractions.
Intracranial hemorrhage
- Bleeding within the cranium; somewhat common among preterm infants.
Intrapartum
- Occurring during labor and delivery.
- Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) means the baby’s size is abnormally small, which can cause serious complications around the time of birth as well as long-term stunted growth.
- An insufficient supply of blood to an organ, usually due to a blocked artery. Often occurs in babies as a result of contractions.
Ischemic
- Used to describe a decrease in blood supply to a bodily organ; related to or affected by ischemia.
Ischial Spine
- A thin pointed triangular bone that projects backward from the ischium.
Ischium
- The lowest of three major bones that constitute each half of the pelvis.