PRENATAL GLOSSARY
• Sepsis – A serious medical condition in which the body has an overwhelming immune response to an infection . The chemicals released into the blood to fight the infection trigger widespread inflammation . This can lead to blood clots and leaky blood vessels , which cause poor blood flow and deprive the body ’ s organs of nutrients and oxygen . In severe cases , one or more organs may fail , and in the worst cases , blood pressure drops and the heart weakens , leading to septic shock .
• Sudden infant death syndrome ( SIDS ) – The sudden and unexplained death , normally while sleeping , of an infant aged one month to one year
• Sitz bath – A bath taken in a sitting position designed to cleanse the space between the rectum and the vulva
• Spider angioma – An abnormal cluster of blood vessels near the surface of the skin , often appearing as a central red dot from which the vessels radiate
• Teratogens – Any agent or substance that can cause malformation of an embryo or birth defects
• Tocolytics – Any drug that suppresses uterine contractions
• Trimester , first – The time period extending from the first day of the last menstrual period through 12 weeks of gestation
• Trimester , second – The time period extending from the 13th through the 27th week of gestation
• Trimester , third – The time period extending from the 28th week of gestation until delivery
• Umbilical cord prolapse – A complication during or prior to delivery that occurs when the umbilical cord exits the uterus before the fetus . In most cases it is an emergency , because it endangers the life of the fetus .
• Varicose veins – Abnormally swollen or dilated veins
• Vernix caseosa ( or simply vernix ) – A waxy or cheese-like white substance that sometimes coats the skin of newborn babies
80 My Prenatal Care Book