2. Antenatal or prenatal :The period from conception to delivery
Postnatal : After the birth of the baby to 6 weeks
Pregnancy :A Woman with fetus in her uterus from
conception to 40 weeks or 280 days.
3. Gestation :Pregnancy dates (weeks)
LNMP :Last Normal menstrual period
EDD :Expected date of delivery; calculation:
4. Conception: Fusion of ovum and spermatozoa
Zygote : Fertilized ovum (up to 21st day)
Embryo : period after conception from 22nd day to the 56th Day (4 –8
weeks)
5. Fetus: Developing unborn baby from 9th week until birth/term.
Low birth weight baby :Baby born with weight of less than 2500g
6. GA : Gestation Age
LGA : Large for Gestation Age
SGA : Small for gestation age
Premature baby: Baby born before 37 weeks gestation and usually
less than 2500g. (weight is in proportion to period of gestation)
7. Postmature baby :Baby born after 40 weeks gestation
Viable: Capable to live a separate existence from mother
e.g. after 28 weeks.
8. Labour : Childbirth process
First stage of labour: From the onset of regular, painful contractions until full dilation of the
cervix.
Second stage of labour :From full dilation of the cervix until the birth
of the baby.
Third stage of labour :From birth of the baby until complete expulsion
of placenta and membranes.
Puerperium :Time following delivery up to 6 weeks
9. Gravida : pregnant
Primgravida : woman who is pregnant for the first time.
Multigravida : woman who has had more than one pregnancy.
Parity : number of deliveries one had
Nullipara : not having borne an infant after 28 weeks.
Primipara : Woman who has given birth to her 1st child.
10. Multiparity : Delivered more than one child.
Abortion : Interruption of pregnancy before 28 weeks.
SVD : Spontaneous vertex delivery.
BBA : Born before arrival.
C/S : Caesarean section
HVS : High vaginal swab
11. D & C :Dilatation and curettage
ARM :Artificial Rupture of Membranes
SRM :Spontaneous Rupture of Membranes
EUA :Examination under anaesthesia
FHR: Fetal Heart Rate
12. I.U.D : Intra Uterine Death
IUFD : Intrauterine Fetal Demise
IUCD : Intra Uterine contraceptive device
SB :Still Birth (Infant born after 28 weeks gestation, which after birth does not
breathe or show any signs of life).
13. NND : Neonatal Death (death within 28 days of birth).
Perinatal Death :Is either stillbirth or death of an infant during the first
week of life.
PPH : Postpartum Haemorrhage (bleeding from the genital tract following
the birth of the baby)
14. Primary PPH : bleeding up to 24 hours after birth
Secondary PPH: bleeding from 24 hours to 6 weeks
APH : Antepartum Haemorrhage - bleeding from the genital tract after
the 28th week of pregnancy up to the end of the second
stage of labour.
Intra-partum :During birth
15. Polyhydramnios : An excessive amount of liquor amniotic fluid over
1500 mls.
Maceration : Peeling of the fetal skin, when a dead fetus is
retained for more than 24 hours in utero.
16. Ophthalmic neonatorum: Any purulent discharge from the eyes of the
newborn within 21 days of delivery.
Oxytocic drug : Drug used to induce contraction e.g.
ergometrine, pitocin, oxytocin, syntometrine,
prostaglandin.
17. Ballottement : Tapping a structure which lies in fluid in such a
way that it rebounds against the examining
fingers.
CPD: Cephalo -Pelvic Disproportion- This is when the head is too big
to pass through a normal size pelvic, or when the
pelvis
or when the pelvis is too small for that particular head.
18. Morbidity: Disease / Illness
Mortality : Death
Spalding sign: Overlapping of the skull bones before labour starts, in
intra-uterine death.
Moulding: Overlapping of the skull bones during labour whereby an
alteration in size and shape of the fetal skull takes place in order
to accommodate itself to the birth canal
Capult: swelling of fetal scalp
