Maternal and Child Health – Physiological Changes in Pregnancy

0.0(0)
studied byStudied by 0 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/50

flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

Question-and-answer flashcards covering key definitions, physiological changes, diagnostic signs, fetal development milestones, fetal circulation, and placental functions for Maternal and Child Health – Physiological Changes in Pregnancy.

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

51 Terms

1
New cards

What is pregnancy (gestation)?

The physiologic process in which a developing fetus grows within the maternal uterus.

2
New cards

What does the term "gravid" mean?

Pregnant.

3
New cards

What does "gravida" indicate?

The total number of pregnancies a woman has had, regardless of outcome.

4
New cards

Define parity.

The number of births a woman has had, before or after 20 weeks’ gestation.

5
New cards

Who is a primigravida?

A woman who is pregnant for the first time.

6
New cards

Who is a nulligravida?

A woman who has never been pregnant.

7
New cards

Who is a multigravida?

A woman in subsequent (two or more) pregnancies.

8
New cards

Define gestation.

The period of fetal development in the uterus from implantation to birth.

9
New cards

How many trimesters is pregnancy divided into?

Three.

10
New cards

Which weeks constitute the first trimester?

Week 1 through week 12.

11
New cards

Which weeks constitute the second trimester?

Week 13 through week 28.

12
New cards

Which weeks constitute the third trimester?

Week 29 through week 40.

13
New cards

At what gestational age does amenorrhea typically appear as a pregnancy sign?

Between the 4th and 6th week.

14
New cards

Breast enlargement and tenderness usually begin at what week?

Around the 6th week of gestation.

15
New cards

From which week is urinary frequency commonly noticed?

6th week onward.

16
New cards

Nausea and vomiting typically start at which gestational week?

About 6 weeks.

17
New cards

Uterine enlargement becomes noticeable starting how many weeks after the last menstrual period?

7–8 weeks.

18
New cards

When do multiparous women usually feel fetal movement (quickening)?

Between 16 and 18 weeks.

19
New cards

When do primigravidae usually feel fetal movement?

Between 16 and 20 weeks.

20
New cards

Fetal heart activity can be detected by Doppler at approximately which week?

10th week of gestation.

21
New cards

Earliest reliable urine pregnancy test is usually positive at what week?

4th week of gestation.

22
New cards

A sensitive blood (serum) pregnancy test may be positive how many days after conception?

6–8 days.

23
New cards

Approximate weight of the non-pregnant uterus?

50–60 g.

24
New cards

Approximate weight of the uterus at term?

About 1000 g.

25
New cards

At what week can the uterus be palpated at the level of the umbilicus?

24 weeks.

26
New cards

At which week does the uterine fundus reach the xiphisternum?

Around 38 weeks.

27
New cards

What happens to cervical length during pregnancy?

It remains about 2.5 cm long but becomes softer and swollen.

28
New cards

In primigravidae, cervical effacement normally begins when?

During the last two weeks of pregnancy.

29
New cards

Key vaginal change under estrogen during pregnancy?

The epithelium becomes thicker, more vascular, and more elastic.

30
New cards

Colostrum can first be expressed from the breasts at about what week?

16 weeks.

31
New cards

What are Montgomery’s tubercles and when do they become prominent?

Hypertrophied sebaceous glands on the areola, prominent around 8–12 weeks.

32
New cards

Which hormone primarily stimulates development of the breast ducts in pregnancy?

Estrogen.

33
New cards

Define fertilization.

The union of a sperm and an ovum to form a single cell at conception.

34
New cards

During which timeframe is the developing conceptus termed an embryo?

From 2 weeks after fertilization to the end of the 8th week.

35
New cards

The fetal heart begins to beat around which week?

6th week of gestation.

36
New cards

At what week does the fetus acquire a distinct human appearance?

10th week.

37
New cards

At which week can fetal sex usually be identified on ultrasound?

16th week.

38
New cards

When is the fetus first able to respond to external sound?

Around 18th–26th week (commonly noted at 26 weeks).

39
New cards

By which week do most mothers first feel fetal kicks?

20th week.

40
New cards

What substance covers the fetal skin beginning around 28 weeks?

Vernix caseosa.

41
New cards

What is lanugo and when does it first appear?

Fine fetal hair; begins growing by 16 weeks and thickens by 22 weeks.

42
New cards

Normal fetal heart rate range?

120–160 beats per minute.

43
New cards

Name the three temporary fetal circulatory shunts.

Ductus venosus, foramen ovale, and ductus arteriosus.

44
New cards

Role of the ductus venosus?

Shunts oxygenated blood from the umbilical vein past the liver into the inferior vena cava.

45
New cards

Role of the foramen ovale?

Allows blood to flow from the right atrium to the left atrium, bypassing the fetal lungs.

46
New cards

Role of the ductus arteriosus?

Diverts blood from the pulmonary artery into the aorta, bypassing the lungs.

47
New cards

When does the ductus arteriosus normally close after birth?

Within the first few days of life (may remain open longer in preterm infants).

48
New cards

Primary respiratory function of the placenta?

Transfers oxygen to the fetus and removes carbon dioxide.

49
New cards

Key endocrine products of the placenta?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), estrogens, and progesterone.

50
New cards

Name two nutrients the placenta stores for the fetus.

Glycogen (from glucose) and iron (also fat-soluble vitamins).

51
New cards

Which immunoglobulin crosses the placenta to provide fetal protection, and when does this peak transfer occur?

Immunoglobulin G (IgG), mainly during the third trimester.