E. Mavis Hetherington,
University of Virginia
Ross D. Parke,
University of California
Mark Schmuckler,
University of Toronto at Scarborough
Below are this chapter's featured key terms. The textbook's full glossary is also available for online searching.
| acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) | A viral disease that attacks the body's immune systems; transmitted to a fetus or newborn in the form of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), this disorder weakens the child's immune system and may ultimately cause its death.
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| age of viability | The age of 28 weeks from conception, by which point the fetus's physical systems are well enough advanced that it has a chance at survival if born prematurely.
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| amniotic sac | A membrane containing a watery fluid that encloses the developing organism, protecting it from physical shocks and temperature changes.
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| anoxia | A lack of oxygen in brain cells.
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| cesarean delivery | The surgical delivery of a baby, whereby the baby is removed from the mother's uterus through an incision made in her abdomen and uterus; also known as cesarean section.
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| chlamydia | Probably the most widespread bacterial sexually transmitted disease; can cause pneumonia or a form of conjunctivitis in a pregnant woman's baby.
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| diethylstilbestrol (DES) | A synthetic hormone once prescribed for pregnant women to prevent miscarriage but discontinued when cancer and precancerous conditions were detected in the children of such women.
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| embryo | The developing organism between the second and eighth weeks of gestation; the period of the embryo comprises the differentiation of the major physiological structures and systems.
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| fetal alcohol effects (FAE). | When children who are prenatally exposed to alcohol display some, but not all, of the characteristics of FAS.
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| fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) | A disorder exhibited by infants of alcoholic mothers and characterized by stunted growth, a number of physical and physiological abnormalities and, often, mental retardation.
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| fetus | The developing organism from the third month of gestation through delivery; during the fetal period development of bodily structures and systems becomes complete.
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| genital herpes | A common viral infection spread through sexual contact; if contracted by an infant during birth can cause blindness, motor abnormalities, mental retardation, and a wide range of neurological disorders.
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| gonorrhea | A sexually transmitted bacterial infection that, in a pregnant woman, can cause blindness in her infant; normally treatable with antibiotics.
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| lanugo | A fine, soft hair that covers the fetus's body from about the fifth month of gestation on; may be shed before birth or after.
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| placenta | A fleshy, disclike structure formed by cells from the lining of the uterus and from the zygote, and that, together with the umbilical cord, serves to protect and sustain the life of the growing organism.
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| preterm | A term describing a premature baby who is born before its due date and whose weight, though less than that of a full-term infant, may be appropriate to its gestational age.
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| respiratory distress syndrome | A condition of the newborn marked by labored breathing and a bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes and which often leads to death.
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| Rh factor incompatibility | A condition in which an infant's Rh negative blood opposes his mother's Rh positive blood, and threatens fetuses in later births, when the mother's body has had time to produce antibodies that will attack fetal blood cells.
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| small for date | A term describing a premature baby who may be born close to its due date but who weighs significantly less than would be appropriate to its gestational age.
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| syphilis | A sexually transmitted bacterial disease that today can usually be treated with antibiotics but that untreated in the pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage or blindness, mental retardation, or other physical abnormalities in her baby.
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| teratogen | An environmental agent, such as a drug, medication, dietary imbalance, or polluting substance, that may cause developmental deviations in a growing human organism; most threatening in the embryonic stage but capable of causing abnormalities in the fetal stage as well.
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| thalidomide | A drug once prescribed to relieve morning sickness in pregnant women but discontinued when found to cause serious malformations of the fetus. Current controversy surrounds possible use in treating symptoms of such diseases as AIDS, cancer, and leprosy.
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| umbilical cord | A tube that contains blood vessels going between the growing organism and its mother by way of the placenta; carries oxygen and nutrients to the growing infant and removes carbon dioxide and waste products.
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| zygote | The developing organism from the time of the union of sperm and egg to about the second week of gestation; the period of the zygote comprises the implantation of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus.
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education