| 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 22 to 26 weeks from conception, at which point the fetus's physical systems are advanced enough that it has a chance to survive if born prematurely.
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| amniotic sac | A membrane that contains the developing organism and the amniotic fluid around it; sac and fluid protect the organism from physical shocks and temperature changes.
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| cephalocaudal | The pattern of human physical growth in which development begins in the area of the brain and proceeds downward to the trunk and legs.
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| cesarean delivery | The surgical delivery of a baby; the baby is removed from the mother's uterus through an incision made in her abdomen and uterus in a procedure 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 their children.
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| embryo | The developing organism between the second and eighth week of gestation; the embryonic period comprises the differentiation of the major physiological structures and systems.
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| fetal alcohol syndrome | 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, bodily structures and systems develop to completion.
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| genital herpes | A common viral infection spread primarily through sexual contact; if contracted by an infant during birth, it can cause blindness, motor abnormalities, mental retardation, and a wide range of neurological disorders.
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| gestation | The carrying of an embryo or fetus during pregnancy, usually for 9 months in humans.
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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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| miscarriage | The natural or spontaneous end of a pregnancy before the infant is capable of survival outside the womb and generally defined in humans as prior to 20 weeks gestation.
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| placenta | A fleshy, disklike structure formed by cells from the lining of the uterus and from the zygote 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, although less than that of a full-term infant, may be appropriate to its gestational age.
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| proximal-distal | The pattern of human physical growth wherein development starts in central areas, such as the internal organs, and proceeds to more distant areas, such as arms and legs.
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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; can result in infant death.
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| Rh factor incompatibility | A condition in which an infant's Rh-negative blood opposes its 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 can usually be treated with antibiotics, but if untreated in the pregnant woman, can cause 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 fetal malformations. Current controversy surrounds its possible use in treating symptoms of such diseases as AIDS, cancer, and Hansen's disease (leprosy).
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| toxoplasmosis | A parasitic disease acquired by eating undercooked meat or by contact with feces, as in handling cat litter.
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| umbilical cord | A tube that contains blood vessels connecting the growing organism and its mother by way of the placenta; it 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 sperm and egg unite 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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