Birth Injury Glossary

- The process of labor and giving birth to a child.

- The period around childbirth, especially the five months before and one month after birth.

- The area between the anus and posterior part of the external genitalia.

- A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, using a scale of 14. (A pH of 7.0 is neutral.) Numbers below 7 indicate acidity, while numbers above 7 indicate alkalinity. Blood pH is slightly alkaline, with a normal range of 7.36 - 7.44.

- A liquid medication that’s a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin; most often used to induce labor by IV drip.

- The organ connecting the fetus and the mother. Blood from the fetus and mother do not directly mix, but the placental membrane allows the fetus to absorb nutrients and oxygen from the mother. Waste from the fetus exits through the placenta.

- (see “Abruptio placentae”) Also referred to as: abruption, uteroplacental apoplexy or Couvelaire uterus, is a condition that can harm mother and baby when the placenta begins to pull away from the uterus too soon. Placental abruption may be responsible for a disruption in the amount of oxygen and nutrition delivered to the baby thereby causing or contributing to the development of cerebral palsy.

- Placenta accreta occurs during pregnancy when the placenta attaches too deeply into the wall of your uterus. People who have had multiple C-sections, other placenta disorders or a history of uterine surgery are at higher risk of developing placenta accreta. This condition can be life-threatening.

- Placental insufficiency is a pregnancy complication in which oxygen and vital nutrients are not properly delivered to the fetus. This increases the risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), 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 abnormal condition in pregnancy, where the placenta partially or totally covers the cervix, and is located low in the uterus.

- Polyhydramnios is a pregnancy complication in which an excessive volume of amniotic fluid accumulates around the baby, increasing the risks of birth complications and birth injuries. Polyhydramnios can cause birth complications, such as premature birth, umbilical cord prolapse, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), and breech presentation.

- A measurement of relative body mass; calculated as weight divided by height, raised by 100.

- A condition in pregnancy in which high blood pressure and protein in the urine develop after the 20th week. Symptoms also include a sudden rise in blood pressure, excessive weight gain, and severe headaches.

- Before birth; care of a pregnant woman before delivery.

- 1. A steroid hormone secreted by the placenta, that acts to prepare the uterus for the implementation of a fertilized egg. 2. In synthetic form, progesterone is used in oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, and in the treatment of various gynecologic disorders.

- 1. To turn the palm downwards so that the palm faces down or back 2. To turn or rotate the sole of the foot so that the inner edge of the sole bears the body’s weight 3. To turn or rotate a limb so that the inner surfaces faces down or back.

- The slightly moveable interpubic joint of the pelvis, consisting of two pubic bones separated by a disk of fibrocartilage and connected by two ligaments.

- The vein that returns blood from the lower lobe of the left lung, to the left atrium of the heart.

- A device that determines the oxygen saturation of the blood of an anesthetized patient. The device uses a sensor attached to a finger, yields a computerized readout, and sounds an alarm if blood saturation becomes less than optimal.