Obstetrics and Gynaecology Definitions Bank

A collection of vocabulary terms and definitions from the lecture notes covering pregnancy, labour, neonatal conditions, and gynaecological disorders.

Alpha-feto protein (αFP)

Protein produced by the yolk sac and fetal liver.

Amenorrhoea

Absence of menstruation.

Amniocentesis

Transabdominal, transuterine insertion of a needle into the amniotic cavity to extract amniotic fluid.

Amniotomy

Artificial creation of a hole in both fetal membranes (amnion and chorion); used to induce or accelerate labour (also called Artificial Rupture of Membranes (ARM) or puncture of membranes (POM)).

Antepartum haemorrhage (APH)

Bleeding from the genital tract from $24+0$ weeks of gestation to the birth of the baby.

Apgar score

A method of assessing the clinical condition of the neonate by scoring out of $10$. Marks are given for heart rate ($2$), respiration ($2$), colour ($2$), tone ($2$) and reflex activity ($2$). Scores are usually given at $1$ and $5$ minutes of life.

Ashermann’s syndrome

Amennorhoea due to adhensions within the uterine cavity.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria

Bacteria in a concentration of $\ge 10^5/ml$ of urine without symptoms of urinary tract infection.

Biophysical profile

A method of assessing fetal well-being by ultrasound inspection of the fetal behaviour and amniotic fluid volume. A score out of $8$ is given for fetal breathing movement ($2$), fetal tone ($2$), fetal gross body movement ($2$) and amniotic fluid volume ($2$).

Bishop’s score

A method of recording the examination of the cervix.

Bradycardia (fetal)

A fetal heart rate below $100$ beats per minute for $5$ minutes.

Breech presentation

The situation when the fetal buttocks or lower limbs are closest to the maternal cervix. Subdivided into complete (hips and knees flexed), frank (hips flexed, knees extended), and footling (hips and knees extended).

Caput succedaneum

Soft tissue oedema of the baby’s scalp following delivery.

Cephalo-pelvic disproportion

Maternal pelvis of inadequate dimensions to accommodate passage of the fetal head.

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

A potentially pre-malignant histological state of the cervix associated with colposcopic abnormalities.

Chloasma

Brown discolouration of the face during pregnancy.

Choriocarcinoma

Malignant tumour of the placenta usually preceded by a hydatidiform mole.

Chocolate cyst

A cyst of the ovary containing old blood, and therefore brown in colour, often associated with endometriosis.

Colostrum

Thin fluid secreted by the breasts during the first days after delivery and before the production of milk; rich in immunoglobulins.

Cord prolapse

An obstetric emergency in which the umbilical cord is extruded through the cervix and usually into the vagina while the fetus remains in the uterus.

Couvelaire uterus

A uterus in which blood has penetrated into the myometrium following severe placental abruption.

Cryptomenorrhoea

Menstrual blood retained within the uterus or vagina due to a lower genital tract outflow obstruction, presenting as primary amenorrhoea.

Cystometry

Technique for assessing the response of the bladder to increasing volume; also called ‘Urodynamics’.

Decidua

The endometrium during pregnancy, which is shed following delivery.

Ductus arteriosus

The connection between the fetal pulmonary artery and the descending arch of the aorta.

Eclampsia

A disease of pregnancy causing seizures, in the presence of new onset hypertension.

Ectopic pregnancy

Implantation of a pregnancy outside of the uterine cavity, most commonly in the fallopian tube.

Endometriosis

The presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity.

Engagement

When the fetal head's maximum diameters (suboccipito-bregmatic and biparietal) have passed through the pelvic inlet.

External cephalic version

Manual conversion of fetal presentation from breech to cephalic, by manipulation through the maternal abdominal wall.

Ferning

Typical pattern of cervical mucous on a laboratory slide at the time of ovulation or produced by amniotic fluid after rupture of membranes.

Gestational diabetes mellitus

Impaired glucose metabolism with onset or first recognition during pregnancy.

HELLP syndrome

A variant of pre-eclampsia typified by haemolysis (H), elevated liver enzymes (EL) and low platelets (LP).

Hydrops fetalis

Accumulation of fluid in at least two body compartments of the fetus and the subcutaneous tissues.

Hyperemesis gravidarum

Excessive vomiting in pregnancy not secondary to any cause other than pregnancy.

Hysterosalpingogram

An x-ray examination of the outline of the uterine cavity and lumina of the fallopian tubes following injection of radio-opaque dye.

Kernicterus

Brain dysfunction in a neonate due to high levels of bilirubin.

Labour

The process by which the products of conception are expelled from the uterus via the birth canal after $24+0$ weeks of gestation.

Leiomyosarcoma

A malignant tumour of the smooth muscle which can occur in the uterus.

Linea nigra

A brown line of hyperpigmentation of the midline of the anterior abdominal during pregnancy.

Lochia

The discharge from the uterus during the puerperium.

Low birthweight

A birth weight of less than $2.5\,kg$ regardless of gestation, or less than $10\text{th}$ centile for gestational age.

Maternal death

Death of a woman while pregnant or within $42$ days of the end of pregnancy from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy.

Meconium

Greenish-black mucous from the fetal bowel.

Naegle’s rule

A method of calculating the estimated date of delivery (EDD) by adding $9$ months and $7$ days to the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP) for regular $28$ day cycles.

Neonatal death

Death of a liveborn infant within $28$ days of birth, after $24$ week’s gestation.

Oligohydramnios

Reduced amniotic fluid volume.

Parity

The number of previous pregnancies that have reached viability irrespective of the number of children resulting or if they resulted in livebirths.

Placenta praevia

A placenta implanted wholly or partly in the lower uterine segment, diagnosed after $28$ week’s gestation.

Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH)

Bleeding of $> 500\,ml$ from the genital tract after the second stage of labour. Primary occurs within $24$ hours; Secondary occurs from $24$ hours to six weeks.

Pre-eclampsia

New hypertension after $20$ weeks’ gestation of $> 140/90\,mmHg$ with either proteinuria $> 300\,mg/day$, abnormal lab results, fetal growth restriction, or neurological complications.

Puerperium

The six weeks following delivery when the mother’s body is returning to the non-pregnant state.

Sheehan’s syndrome

Hypopituitarism secondary to pituitary infarction caused by hypovolaemic shock from severe postpartum haemorrhage.

Stages of labour

First stage (onset to full dilatation), Second stage (full dilatation to delivery of baby), Third stage (delivery of baby to delivery of placenta).

Stillbirth

Fetal demise after viability from $24$ weeks’ onwards.

Striae gravidarum

Stretch marks on the skin of the abdomen that develop during pregnancy.

Term

The time from $37+0$ to $42+0$ weeks of gestation.

Vasa praevia

Presence of blood vessels in the membranes below the fetal head which may rupture and exsanguinate the fetus.

Viability

The stage at which the fetus becomes capable of surviving independently, usually defined as from $23+0$ weeks of gestation or a fetal weight $\ge 500\,g$.