Maternal Fetal Medicine Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
cervical ripening
Process of cervical softening and preparation for labor, either naturally occurring or medically induced.
absent end-diastolic flow
Doppler ultrasound finding in umbilical artery showing no forward blood flow during diastole, indicating severe placenta...
amniocentesis
A prenatal diagnostic procedure involving needle insertion through the abdomen to extract amniotic fluid for genetic tes...
amnioinfusion
Therapeutic procedure involving instillation of isotonic fluid into the amniotic cavity to treat oligohydramnios or dilu...
amnion nodosum
Small nodular deposits on the amnion surface associated with severe oligohydramnios and fetal renal abnormalities.
amniopatch
Therapeutic procedure involving injection of platelets and cryoprecipitate to seal amniotic membrane defects in cases of...
anhydramnios
Complete absence of amniotic fluid, representing the most severe form of oligohydramnios with significant fetal implicat...
antenatal corticosteroids
Steroid medications given to pregnant women to accelerate fetal lung maturation before preterm delivery.
biophysical profile
A comprehensive ultrasound assessment of fetal well-being that evaluates five parameters including movement, tone, breat...
Bishop score
Standardized scoring system evaluating cervical favorability for induction of labor based on five cervical and fetal par...
cerclage
A surgical procedure involving placement of stitches around the cervix to prevent premature cervical dilation and pregna...
cerebroplacental ratio
Doppler ultrasound ratio comparing fetal middle cerebral artery to umbilical artery resistance, used to detect placental...
cervical cerclage
A surgical procedure to place a stitch around the cervix to prevent premature opening during pregnancy.
cervical funneling
Premature dilatation of the internal cervical os while the external os remains closed, creating a funnel-shaped appearan...
cervical incompetence
Inability of the cervix to remain closed during pregnancy, leading to premature cervical dilation.
cervical length
Ultrasound measurement of cervical length used to assess preterm birth risk.
cervical ripening
Process of cervical softening and preparation for labor, either naturally occurring or medically induced.
chorioamnionitis
Intraamniotic infection involving inflammation of the fetal membranes, typically presenting with fever, uterine tenderne...
chorionic villus sampling
Prenatal diagnostic procedure involving extraction of placental tissue for genetic testing, typically performed at 10-13...
contraction stress test
A fetal surveillance test that evaluates fetal heart rate response to uterine contractions to assess placental function.
cordocentesis
A prenatal diagnostic procedure involving needle sampling of fetal blood directly from the umbilical cord.
dichorionic diamniotic
A type of twin pregnancy where each fetus has its own separate chorion and amnion, representing the lowest-risk twin con...
ductus venosus
Fetal blood vessel that shunts oxygenated blood from the umbilical vein directly to the heart, bypassing the liver.
ECV
External cephalic version; a procedure to manually turn a breech baby to head-down position before delivery.
effacement
Thinning and shortening of the cervix during labor, measured as a percentage.