Maternal-Newborn Nursing Exam 1 Review

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering antepartal assessment, fetal monitoring, and labor and delivery fundamentals based on lecture review material.

Organogenesis

The formation of every major organ system occurring during the embryonic period, weeks $1$ through $8$, marking the greatest window of vulnerability to teratogens.

Supine Hypotensive Syndrome

A condition where the weight of the gravid uterus compresses the inferior vena cava and aorta, reducing venous return, maternal cardiac output, and placental perfusion.

Naegele's rule

A method to determine the estimated date of confinement by subtracting $3$ months from the first day of the last menstrual period and adding $7$ days.

Primigravida

A woman who is pregnant for the first time.

Multigravida

A woman who has had two or more pregnancies.

Nulligravida

A woman who has never been pregnant.

Primipara

A woman who has completed one pregnancy that has reached the age of viability.

Multipara

A woman who has completed two or more pregnancies to the stage of fetal viability.

Presumptive signs of pregnancy

Subjective data felt by the woman, such as amenorrhea (missing a period) and changes in breast pigmentation, which can be explained by other conditions.

Probable signs of pregnancy

Objective findings such as a positive Chadwick's sign, Goodell's sign, Hegar's sign, ballottement, Braxton Hicks contractions, and a positive hCG pregnancy test.

Positive signs of pregnancy

Definitive diagnostic signs attributed only to the fetus, including auscultated fetal heart tones, active fetal movement palpable by an examiner, and an outline of the fetus via ultrasound.

Chadwick's sign

A probable sign of pregnancy characterized by a bluish coloration of the cervix, vagina, and vulva, typically occurring around week $6$.

Goodell's sign

A softening of the cervix resulting from increased vascularity and hyperplasia, occurring at the start of the second month.

Hegar's sign

A softening and thinning of the lower uterine segment occurring around the $6\text{th}$ week of pregnancy.

Quickening

Fetal movement felt by the mother that may occur as early as the $16\text{th}$ to $18\text{th}$ week of gestation.

Ballottement

A probable sign of pregnancy identified by the rebounding of the fetus against the examiner's fingers during a pelvic assessment.

Late deceleration

A decrease in fetal heart rate that begins after the peak of a contraction, indicating uteroplacental insufficiency.

Early deceleration

A fetal heart rate pattern that mirrors the contraction, bottoming out at the acme, caused by benign fetal head compression.

Variable deceleration

Fetal heart rate patterns that occur if the umbilical cord becomes compressed, reducing blood flow between the placenta and the fetus.

Accelerations

Transient increases in the fetal heart rate, often accompanying contractions or fetal movement, signifying fetal well-being and oxygen reserve.

Second stage of labor

The 'pushing stage' that begins precisely when the cervix reaches complete dilation ($10\text{ cm}$) and ends with the delivery of the infant.

Umbilical Vein

The specific vessel in the umbilical cord that carries oxygenated blood from the mother to the fetus.

Umbilical Arteries

Two vessels in the umbilical cord that carry deoxygenated blood and waste products from the embryo/fetus to the placenta.

Thrombocytopenia

A platelet count below $150,000/\text{mm}^3$ which increases the risk for bleeding and requires the institution of bleeding precautions.

Polyhydramnios

Excess amniotic fluid associated with multiple gestation and fetal macrosomia, placing the fetus at risk for being Large for Gestational Age (LGA).

Oligohydramnios

Reduced amniotic fluid levels often associated with fetal growth restriction and Small for Gestational Age (SGA) classifications at birth.

Trisomy 21

Also known as Down syndrome; a condition characterized by low-set ears, a flattened nasal bridge, a single palmar crease, and generalized hypotonia.

Leopold’s maneuvers

A systematic method to determine fetal position and presentation to best locate the site for auscultating fetal heart tones.