Perinatal Medicine Glossary

Diagnostic procedure involving needle insertion through the maternal abdomen into the amniotic sac to obtain fetal cells...

Therapeutic instillation of fluid into the amniotic cavity to treat oligohydramnios or reduce cord compression.

Complete absence of amniotic fluid, representing the most severe form of oligohydramnios.

The period of pregnancy before the onset of labor; prenatal period.

Bleeding from the genital tract occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy but before delivery of the baby.

Standardized assessment tool evaluating newborn health at one and five minutes after birth.

Lateral deflection of the fetal head during labor, where the sagittal suture deviates from the midline of the maternal p...

Physical examination technique where gentle pressure causes the fetus to move away and then return, indicating adequate...

Umbilical cord blood that has been collected, processed, and cryopreserved for potential future stem cell transplantatio...

Corticosteroid medication administered to pregnant women to accelerate fetal lung maturation before preterm delivery.

A fetal assessment tool that evaluates five parameters to determine fetal well-being. Often abbreviated as BPP in medica...

Standardized assessment tool for evaluating cervical readiness for labor induction.

Fetal positioning where the buttocks or feet present first at delivery instead of the head.

Swelling of the fetal scalp that crosses suture lines, caused by pressure during vaginal delivery.

Collection of blood beneath the periosteum of the fetal skull that does not cross suture lines.

Condition where the fetal head is too large or the maternal pelvis too small for vaginal delivery.

Surgical procedure placing sutures around the cervix to prevent preterm birth due to cervical insufficiency.

Infection of the fetal membranes and amniotic fluid, potentially causing maternal fever and fetal complications.

Malignant tumor arising from trophoblastic tissue, most commonly following molar pregnancy, abortion, or normal pregnanc...

The outer fetal membrane that forms the fetal portion of the placenta.

Prenatal diagnostic procedure obtaining placental tissue for genetic testing, typically performed between 10-13 weeks.

A diagnostic procedure involving sampling of fetal blood directly from the umbilical cord. Also known as percutaneous um...

Separation of the rectus abdominis muscles along the linea alba, commonly occurring during pregnancy and postpartum.

Type of twin pregnancy where each fetus has its own chorion and amnion, indicating separate placentas and amniotic sacs.