Birth Injury Glossary

• 1. The sudden attack or recurrence of a disease
• 2. A convulsion, or attack of epilepsy caused by an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain.

- One of the many thin sheets of tissue that line the closed cavities of the body, covering the organs that lie within that cavity.

- A baby born alone; one baby.

- 1. Any of the venous cavities through which blood passes in various glands and organs (Source: American Heritage Medical Dictionary) 2. Related to or shaped like a sine wave. (A sine wave is a smooth, repetitive wave).

- In newborns, subarachnoid hemorrhages can result from either birth trauma (excessive mechanical force on the baby during birth) or hypoxic-ischemic injury (lack of oxygenated blood flow to the brain)

- The most common form of cerebral palsy; marked by hypertonic (very toned) muscles, and stiff and jerky movements.

- The four stages of labor. The first stage, usually the longest, begins when the cervic starts to open, and ends when it’s completely open (dilated). Blood-tinged mucus is passed from the vagina. Near the end of this stage, contractions become longer and stronger. The second stage involves the actual birth of the baby, and may last as long as three hours - especially during a first birth. The third stage begins when the baby is born, and ends after the expulsion of the placenta. Contractions continue into the third stage. The fourth stage lasts approximately 15 minutes, and includes temporary bodily changes after delivery.

(See “Vena Cava”)

- 1. A type of joint in which the apposed bony surfaces are united by a plate of fibrocartilage 2. A union or meeting point between two structures.