Fetal Medicine Glossary

Abdominal Circumference - a key fetal biometric measurement used to assess growth and estimate fetal weight.

Amniotic Fluid Index, a quantitative ultrasound measurement used to assess amniotic fluid volume during pregnancy.

A procedure involving the instillation of fluid into the amniotic cavity to treat oligohydramnios or improve visualizati...

A prenatal diagnostic procedure involving the extraction of amniotic fluid for genetic testing.

The innermost fetal membrane that directly surrounds the fetus and contains amniotic fluid.

Congenital disorder caused by fibrous bands that constrict fetal parts, leading to amputations, limb defects, or facial...

Severe neural tube defect characterized by absence of major portions of the brain and skull.

A detailed ultrasound examination performed between 18-22 weeks' gestation to detect structural fetal abnormalities.

A palpation technique where gentle pressure displaces the fetus, which then rebounds and can be felt moving back against...

Antepartum fetal assessment combining ultrasound evaluation of fetal movements, tone, breathing, and amniotic fluid with...

Biparietal diameter - the measurement across the widest part of the fetal head used for gestational age assessment.

Condition where the fetal head is too large relative to the maternal pelvis to allow safe vaginal delivery.

Surgical procedure involving placement of sutures around the cervix to prevent cervical insufficiency and preterm birth.

Ratio of middle cerebral artery to umbilical artery pulsatility indices, used to assess fetal well-being.

Bacterial infection of the fetal membranes and amniotic fluid during pregnancy, potentially causing maternal and fetal c...

A benign vascular tumor of the placenta that can cause fetal complications when large.

Ultrasound finding indicating chorioamniotic membrane separation, appearing as a protrusion of chorion into the amniotic...

The fetal surface of the placenta where umbilical vessels branch and chorionic villi attach.

Prenatal diagnostic procedure involving sampling of placental tissue for genetic analysis, typically performed between 1...

Birth defect where abdominal organs herniate into the chest through a diaphragmatic defect.

Prenatal diagnostic procedure involving direct sampling of fetal blood from the umbilical cord.

Ultrasound measurement from the top of the fetal head to the bottom of the torso, used for accurate pregnancy dating in...

Chorionic villus sampling - a first-trimester prenatal diagnostic test using placental tissue.

Congenital lung lesion characterized by abnormal proliferation of bronchial structures forming cystic masses.