MEDICAL TERMS AND DEFINITONS COMMONLY USED IN MATERNAL AND CHILD CARE

NURSING

 Amniocentesis (amnio): A test used to diagnose chromosome

problems and spina bifida.
 Analgesia: No pain, or pain relief.
 Anemia: A condition in which the number of red blood cells is
lower than normal, reducing the blood’s capacity to carry
oxygen.
 Anesthesia: Medicine that blocks pain, feeling, and movement
 Antepartum (AP): Before birth.
 Antibodies: Proteins that protect your body from bacteria and
toxins. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, your baby receives
antibodies from you.
 Appropriate for gestational age (AGA): Baby's size is what is
expected for how far along you are in your pregnancy.
 Artificial rupture of membranes (AROM): Healthcare provider
inserts a special hook through the cervix and makes a hole in the
membranes to release amniotic fluid. Also called "breaking the
bag of waters."
 Bag of water(BOW): Sac of fluid that surrounds the baby inside
the uterus. Also called “amniotic sac.”
 Catheter: A thin, long, flexible synthetic tube.
 Cervical exam : In this exam the healthcare provider uses fingers
to check the cervix for: Position of cervix (posterior means to
the back; anterior means forward, to the mother's front) •
 Ripeness (softness or firmness of the cervix) •
 Dilation (how open the cervix is) •
 Effacement (how thick or thin the cervix is, also called
shortening or ripening of the cervix) •
 Station (how low or high the baby is in the pelvis)
 Cervix: Lowest part, or neck, of the uterus that ends in the top
of the vagina (birth canal).
 Cesarean birth or section, or C-section (CS): Surgery to deliver
a baby through incisions in the abdomen and uterus.
 Combined spinal/epidural (CSE): A way to deliver pain medicine.
CSE uses both an injection of pain medicine into the spinal fluid
and an epidural.
 Date of birth (DOB): The day a person is born. The DOB usually
includes the month, day, and year.
 Doppler: A handheld device placed on the mother’s abdomen that
makes it possible to hear the fetal heartbeat.
 Electronic fetal monitoring, and external fetal monitoring (EFM):
Two sensing devices are placed on the mother’s abdomen to
monitor the fetus. One of these devices measures the baby's heart
rate. The other picks up changes in uterine firmness (which shows
contractions).
 Epidural: An injection of pain medicine into the epidural space
(the space between the layers of tissue that are around the
spinal fluid).
 Estimated date of confinement (EDC) or estimated date of delivery
(EDD): The expected due date of the baby, counted as a 40-week
period from the start of the mother's last menstrual period.
 Failure to progress (FTP)/ prolonged labor: Labor is not
progressing because the cervix is not dilating or the baby is not
descending (getting into position for birth).
 Fetal heart rate (FHR): Baby's heart rate measured while still in
mother's uterus. Fetal heart tones: Baby's heart rate sounds that
can be heard with the Doppler or electronic fetal monitoring
(EFM).
 Forceps: A tool used during the pushing phase of labor, if
needed. It is placed on the baby’s head to help bring the baby
out of the vagina.
 Fundus: The top of the uterus.
 General anesthesia: Medicine that causes a total loss of feeling
and consciousness.
 Gestational diabetes or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): A
type of diabetes, or high blood sugar, that sometimes develops
during pregnancy.
 Gestational hypertension: High blood pressure that develops
during pregnancy.
 Group beta streptococcus (GBS): A type of bacteria in the vagina,
rectum, or urine that can be passed on to the baby during labor.
GBS can make the newborn very sick. Mothers are tested for GBS in
late pregnancy. If bacteria are present, the mother is given
antibiotics during labor.
 Head circumference(HC): Measurement of the baby’s head.
 IV, or intravenous, medicine: An injection of medicine into a
vein, often through a catheter that goes into the vein.
 Intrauterine device(IUD): Birth control device inserted into a
woman’s uterus.
 Lactation/lactating mother: Mother feeding her baby with milk
from her breasts, either by nursing or pumping her breast
milk.Large for gestational age
 (LGA): Baby's size is larger than normal for how far along a
woman is in her pregnancy.
 Last menstrual period (LMP): The first day of mother's last
menstrual period. This date is used to estimate the baby's due
date.
 Low transverse Cesarean section (LTCS): Incision for this type of
Cesarean section birth goes across the lower section of mother's
uterus, from 1 side of the belly to the other.
 Lumbar epidural (LEP): Pain medicine used to decrease sensation
(feeling) in the lumbar (lower back) area. LEP is used for labor
pain (when desired) and for Cesarean births.
 Meconium (MEC): Your baby’s first bowel movement. This can
occur before or after birth.
 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): Special care nursery for
babies who are premature (born before 37 weeks) or who need
special care or monitoring.
 Newborn: Baby in the 1st month of life.
 Non-stress test (NST): External monitoring of fetal heart rate
and uterine contractions. An NST assesses a baby’s well-being.
 Normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (NSVD): A vaginal birth,
without the use of forceps or vacuum.
 Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), patient-controlled epidural
analgesia (PCEA): A method of pain relief that lets the patient
press a button to control how much and when pain medicine is
given.
 Perinatal: The period of time from the 20th week of pregnancy to
1 month after birth.
 Postpartum (PP): The period of time after the birth.
 Pre-eclampsia: High blood pressure and protein in the urine. This
can occur in the last half of pregnancy.
 Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH): High blood pressure related
to the pregnancy.
 Premature labor (PML): Contractions that cause changes in the
cervix before 37 full weeks of pregnancy
 Premature rupture of membranes (PROM): The “bag of waters,” or
amniotic sac, breaks before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.
 Prenatal: The time during pregnancy and before birth.
 Preterm labor: Labor contractions that begin before the 37th week
of pregnancy.
 Preterm birth: A birth that occurs before the 37th week of
pregnancy.
 Small for gestational age (SGA): The baby is smaller than normal
for its age.

 Spinal: A method of pain relief that involves an injection of

anesthetic into your spinal fluid. This pain medicine takes
effect very quickly.
 Stripping/sweeping membranes: During a cervical exam, the
provider inserts a finger into the cervix to loosen the bag of
waters from the uterine wall to help the mother’s body release
the hormones that start contractions.
 Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): Unexpected death of an
infant who seems healthy. It usually occurs while the baby is
asleep or in bed. We do not fully understand the cause of SIDS.
It most often occurs when a baby is between 1 month and 1 year of
age.
 Spontaneous rupture of membranes (SROM): The “bag of waters,”
or amniotic sac, breaks on its own. This may feel like a big gush
or a small trickle of fluid.
 Tocometry (TOCO): External monitoring of contractions.
 UltraCOM: Ultrasound Doppler test on the mother. It measures her
cardiac output (size of arteries at the base of the neck and
blood flow). This helps decide the best treatment for high blood
pressure.
 Ultrasound: A test that uses sound waves to take a picture inside
the uterus. The ultrasound image shows the baby’s size,
position, age, and overall health.
 Vacuum extraction: A process that may be used during the pushing
phase of labor, if needed. A plastic cap-like device is placed on
the baby's head. A tube connects the cap to a vacuum pump that
creates suction. During contractions, the provider gently pulls
on a handle attached to the cap to help the baby come out of the
vagina.
 Vaginal exam: An exam to look at the inside and outside of the
vagina. During the exam, the provider may use a gloved hand to
gently check the cervix.
 G T P A L : GTPAL is a measurement of the number of pregnancies and
deliveries with different outcomes a patient has had.
 G- Gravity
 T- Term
 P- preterm
 A- Abortion
 L-Living
 Gravidity: is a measure of the patient's total number of
pregnancies, including their current pregnancy. The total Gravida
number will include Term, Preterm, and Abortion.Gravida terms
There are three terms used for gravida, which are nulligravida,
primigravida, and multigravida.

 N U L L I G R A V I D A : means a patient has never been pregnant.

 P R I M I G R A V I D A : means they are on their first pregnancy.
 M U L T I G R A V I D A : means they have been pregnant multiple times, so
two or more times.
 Term: how many full term births a patient has had, full term
meaning delivered at 38 weeks or later.
 ]meaning the number of births from viability (~20 weeks) to 37
weeks
 Abortion: meaning a pregnancy that has ended without a live
birth, (fetal death before the age of viability /less than
20weeks.
 Living: represents how many living children the patient
currently has.
 Antepartum haemorrhage – bleeding from the vagina during
pregnancy.
 Apgar score – a test given one minute after a baby is born,
then again 5 minutes later, that assesses a baby’s appearance
 (skin colour), pulse, grimace (reflex), activity (muscle tone)
and respiration. A perfect Apgar score is 10; typical Apgar
scores are 7, 8 or 9. A score lower than 7 means that the baby
might need help breathing.
 Braxton Hicks contractions – a tightening of the uterus (womb)
that may feel like a labour contraction. Braxton Hicks
contractions are not painful and do not get stronger and closer
together like true contractions (also called ‘false labour’).
 Breech – when the baby is positioned inside the uterus with its
bottom or feet down, instead of its head.
 Caesarean section – a surgical procedure in which a baby is
delivered through a cut in the abdomen and uterus (also called a
‘C-section’).
 LMP- LAST MENSTRUAL PERIOD
 Cervix – the narrow, lower end of the uterus that softens and
opens during labour to allow the baby to come out.
 Conception – the process of becoming pregnant,when a sperm and
egg join to form a single cell (alternative terms include
‘fertilisation’, ‘impregnation’ and ‘insemination’).
 Contraction – the often strong and painful tightening of the
uterus during labour that causes the woman’s cervix to dilate
and that helps push the baby through the birth canal.
 Crowning – time during labour when the baby’s head has reached
the external vaginal opening and can be seen from the outside.
 Ectopic pregnancy – when a fertilised egg implants and grows
outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. In most
cases, an ectopic pregnancy is not viable.
 Embryo – the name given to a fertilised egg from the time of
conception until the eighth week.
 False labour – or Braxton Hicks contractions.
 Fertility – being able to conceive and carry a baby though to
the end of the pregnancy.
 Folic acid – a B vitamin found naturally in green leafy
vegetables that helps prevent anaemia and has been shown to
reduce the incidence of some birth defects, including spina
bifida (see definition below).
 Fontanelles – the 6 soft spots on a baby’s head that allow its
skull to compress during birth so it can pass through the birth
canal. The fontanels completely fuse by the time the child is 2
years old.
 Forceps – tong-shaped instruments placed around the baby’s
head to help it travel through the birth canal during childbirth.
 Full term – when a pregnancy is a normal duration (37 to 42
weeks gestation).
 Gestation – the length of time (in days or weeks) that a baby
is in the uterus.
 Haemorrhage – excessive bleeding.
 Home birth – labour and delivery that takes place at home,
under the supervision of a midwife.
 Immunization – the administration of a vaccine, often by
injection, that makes the body resistant to certain bacteria or
viruses.
 In utero – a term that means ‘inside the uterus’.
 In vitro fertilisation (IVF) – the process used to conceive a
child outside the body, where a woman's eggs are fertilised with
a man’s sperm then placed in the woman's uterus.
 Incontinence – an inability to control your bladder or bowel
movements.
 Induced – when a healthcare professional tries to artificially
‘start’ a woman’s labour.
 Jaundice – a condition where a person’s skin and the whites of
their eyes take on a yellowish tinge. It is caused by an excess
of a chemical called bilirubin in the blood and in newborns often
resolves itself.
 Labia – the flaps of skin around a woman’s vagina.
 Labour – the process a woman’s body goes through when her
baby is born.
 Low birthweight(LBW) – when a baby weighs less than 2,500 grams
at birth.
 Maternal and child health nurse – a trained nurse who
specialises in the health and development of children from birth
to school age.
 Meconium – a tar-like substance passed by a baby as their first
poo. Passing meconium before birth may be a sign of fetal
distress.
 Midwife – a person who has been specially trained to care for
women during pregnancy, labour, birth and the post-birth period.
 Hyperemesis Gravidarum(Morning sickness) – nausea, vomiting and
aversions to certain foods and smells that affect most pregnant
women to some degree. Morning sickness can occur at any time of
day, usually begins at 4 to 8 weeks gestation and generally
subsides by week 16 of the pregnancy.
 Multiple pregnancy – when a woman is carrying more than one
baby.
 Natural birth – birth without any interventions for example a
vaginal delivery rather than a caesarean section.
 Neonatal period – the time from a baby’s birth to 4 weeks of
age.
 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – a unit in the hospital
for babies who need a high level of special medical care.
 Neonate – a newborn baby, up to 4 weeks of age.
 Newborn – a baby between birth and 4 weeks old.
 Nursery – a room in a hospital where babies can stay during the
day or overnight.
 Obstetrician – a doctor who has undertaken specialist
training in pregnancy and childbirth.
 Ovaries – the female reproductive organs that release eggs into
the fallopian tubes, where they may be fertilised if sperm are
present.
 Ovulation – the monthly release of a mature egg from an ovary.
A woman is most fertile around the time of ovulation.
 Ovum – a human egg.
 Paediatrician – a doctor who has undertaken specialist
training in treating children.
 Pelvic floor exercises – exercises a woman can do to
strengthen the muscles in and around her vagina.
 Perineal haematoma – a collection of blood, resembling a
bruise, in the area between the vagina and the anus.
 Perineum – the area between the vagina and anus.
 Placenta – the organ that connects to the wall of the uterus,
that nourishes the baby through the umbilical cord.
 Postnatal – a term meaning ‘after birth’ (alternative terms
are ‘post-birth’ and ‘postpartum’).
 Postnatal depression – also known as postpartum depression, a
condition that affects some mothers in the days, weeks or months
after giving birth.
 Postpartum haemorrhage – when a woman loses more than 500 ml of
blood after birth.
 Premature – when a baby is born before 37 weeks gestation.
 Prenatal – a term meaning ‘before birth’ (alternative terms
are ‘antenatal’ and ‘antepartum’).
 Second-degree tear – a tear of the perineum involving both skin
and muscles, but not the anus. Second-degree tears often require
stitches.
 Second-stage labour – the time from the complete dilation of
the cervix (10 cm) to the birth.
 Second trimester – the time from 14 weeks to 26 weeks of
pregnancy.
 Spina bifida – a birth defect that occurs during the first
month of pregnancy when a baby’s backbone does not fully close,
leaving part of the spinal cord exposed. Spina bifida cannot be
cured, but a range of treatments and management options is
available.
 Spontaneous labour – when labour starts by itself (without
medical help).
 Stillbirth – the death of a baby after 20 weeks’ gestation but
before birth.
 Straie Gravidarum(Stretch marks) – discoloured stripey patterns
that can appear on the abdomen, breasts, buttocks or legs during
pregnancy because of skin stretching. They usually fade slowly
after delivery.
 Linea Negra-  a dark line that develops on your stomach during
pregnancy. It usually extends from your bellybutton to your pubic
area.
 Chloasma/ Melasma- “mask of pregnancy “ Chloasma is a common
skin condition during pregnancy. It usually presents as dark,
brownish patches of skin, mostly on the forehead, nose, upper
lip, and cheeks.
 Chadwick sign -is a non-specific, early sign of pregnancy that
is typically characterized by a bluish discoloration of the
cervix, vagina, and vulva.
 Hegar Sign- is a non-specific indication of pregnancy that is
characterized by the compressibility and softening of the
cervical isthmus
 Goodell sign- refers to a probable sign of pregnancy,
characterized by softening of the cervix.
 TENS machine – a ‘trans-electrical nerve stimulation’ machine
used for pain management during labour.
 Third- or fourth-degree tear – a severe tear of the perineum
involving the skin, muscles and anus. Stitches are used to repair
these tears.
 Third-stage labour – the time from the birth of the baby to the
birth of the placenta.
 Third trimester – the time from 26 weeks of pregnancy onwards.
 Trimester – a time span of 3 months during pregnancy, each
marked by different phases of fetal development.
 Umbilical cord – the cord that connects the baby to the
placenta, allowing nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and oxygen
to be carried from the woman to her baby.
 Uterus – a woman’s womb.
 Vacuum cap or ventouse – a suction cap that is sometimes used
during birth to help to pull the baby out of the birth canal.
 VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) – when a woman has a
vaginal birth after having had one or more previous caesarean
sections.
 Water birth – where a baby is born fully submerged in water.
 Pica - refers to when a person craves or eats nonfood items,
such as paint, chips or sand.A deficiency in important minerals
like iron and zinc may trigger pica.
 COLPOSCOPY- a test to take a closer look at your cervix.
 LEOPOLD’S MANEUVER- consist of an abdominal examination divided
into four steps of palpation of the gravid uterus and fetus.
 1st Manuever- Fundal Grip
 2nd manuever - Umbilical Grip
 3rd manuever - Pawlick Grip
 4th Manuever- Pelvic Grip
31. Complication of pregnancy that
involves excessive vomiting, electrolyte
imbalances, weight loss, nutritional
deficits, and ketonuria
-Hyperemesis gravidarum
32. An elevated blood glucose level
-Hypergylcemia
33. Excessively rapid or deep breathing
-Hyperventilation
34. Body temperature that is below
expected reference
-Hypothermia
35. Low blood sugar
-Hypoglycemia
36. Fine, downy hair on the fetus after
20 weeks of gestation
-Lanugo
37. A series of four types of abdominal
palpitation for determining fetal
position
-Leopold maneuvers
38. Release of breast milk in response to
oxytocin, also called the milk-ejection
reflex
-Let-down reflex
39. Descent of the uterus into the pelvic
cavity about 2 weeks before term labor
-Lightening
40. Pigmented line extending from the
symphysis pubis to the top of the
fundus
-Linea Nigra
41. Copious mucoid discharge with a
white/gray color that occurs with
pregnancy
-Leukorrhea
42. Vaginal discharge following
childbirth
-Lochia
43. Infection of the breast tissue
-Mastitis
44. First stools a newborn passes.
Odorless, dark green/black, andsticky.
Composed of amniotic fluid, bile, and
mucus
-Meconium
45. Release of breast milk in response to
oxytocin, also called the let-down reflex
-Milk- ejection reflex
46. Sebaceous glands around the
nipples that hypertrophy during
pregnancy.
-Montgomery Tubercles
47. Expected newborn response to a
loud noise or other readily perceived

stimulus, demonstrated as arm flexion

and an embracing posture
-Moro reflex
48. Amniotic sac
-Membranes
49. A clinical measurement of the
percentage of hemoglobin that is bound
with oxygen in the blood
-Oxygen Saturation
50. A drug that stimulates uterine
contractions
-Oxytocic