Breastfeeding Glossary of Terms

1. Childhood Skin Problems Slideshow
2. Childhood Illnesses You Should Know Slideshow
3. Slideshow: Cold and Flu - Treating Your Child's Cold or Fever

Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2....

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

American Academy of Pediatrics: AAP. Its member pediatricians "dedicate their efforts and ...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

Areola: 1. The small darkened area around the nipple of the breast. 2. The colored part of...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Asthma: A common lung disorder in which inflammation causes the bronchi to swell and narro...

Atopic: A predisposition toward developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions. At...

Atopic dermatitis: A skin disease characterized by areas of severe itching, redness, scali...

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Bile: Bile is a yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder a...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Breast abscess: A local accumulation of pus within the breast due to infection. Symptoms m...

Breast cancer: Breast cancer is diagnosed with self- and physician-examination of the brea...

Breast feeding: See: Breastfeeding.

Breast infection: Infection of breast tissue usually caused by bacteria, most often staph ...

Breast milk: Milk from the breast. Human milk contains a balance of nutrients that close...

Breastfeeding: Feeding a child human breast milk. According to the American Academy of Ped...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Bypass: An operation in which a new pathway is created for the transport of substances in ...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Carbohydrates: Mainly sugars and starches, together constituting one of the three principa...

Casein: The main protein found in milk and other dairy products.

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

Chin: Medically, the mentum. The lower portion of the face below the lower lip including t...

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Colic: A cause of crampy abdominal pain in early infancy. Colic is a common condition, occ...

Colostrum: A sticky white or yellow fluid secreted by the breasts during the second half o...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Consultant: An individual to whom one refers for expert advice or services. The use of con...

Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin, either due to direct contact with an irritating sub...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Duct: A walled passageway, such as a lymph duct, that carries fluid from one place to anot...

Ear: The hearing organ. There are three sections of the ear, according to the anatomy tex...

Elbow: The juncture of the long bones in the middle portion of the upper extremity. The bo...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

Evert: To turn outward or turn inside out. To evert the foot is to move its forepart away ...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

Fats: Plural of the word "fat". See the definition of fat.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Forearm: The portion of the upper limb from the elbow to the wrist. The forearm has two bo...

Formula feeding: Feeding an infant or toddler prepared formula instead of or in addition t...

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Gastrointestinal tract: The stomach and intestines. Abbreviated GI tract.

Gene: The basic biological unit of heredity. A segment of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) need...

Genetics: The scientific study of heredity. Genetics pertains to humans and all other orga...

Germ: 1. A cell or group of cells (called a primordium) capable of developing into ...

Glucose: The simple sugar that is the chief source of energy. Glucose is found in the bloo...

Gynecology: The branch of medicine that is particularly concerned with the health of the f...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune response: Any reaction by the immune system. For example, poison ivy can cause an i...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

Infant formula: A substitute for breast milk for feeding infants.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Iron: An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin ...

Knee: The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (the femur) meets the lar...

La Leche League: An organization that helps and supports breastfeeding mothers with advice...

Lactation: The process of milk production. Human milk is secreted by the mammary glands, w...

Lactose: The sugar found in milk. Lactose is a large sugar molecule that is made up of two...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Lips: Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the...

Mastitis: Inflammation of one or more mammary glands within the breast, usually in a lacta...

Maternal: 1. Pertaining to the mother as, for example, the maternal mortality rate....

Medical school: A school with a curriculum leading to a medical degree. The mission of eve...

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Nipple confusion: A problem that may beset a bottlefed baby in which it forgets how to nur...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Nursing: 1) Profession concerned with the provision of services essential to the maintena...

Nutrition: 1) The science or practice of taking in and utilizing foods. 2) A nourishing ...

Obstetrics: The art and science of managing pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium (the time...

Otitis: Inflammation of the ear. Depending upon which part of the ear is inflammed, there ...

Otitis media: Inflammation of the middle ear characterized by the accumulation of infected...

Overweight: The term "overweight" is used in two different ways. In one sense it is a way ...

Pacifier: An artificial nipple, usually made of plastic, upon which an infant can suck to ...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Palm: The grasping side of the hand; the flexor surface of the hand. In contrast to the ba...

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

Perinatal: Pertaining to the period immediately before and after birth. The perinatal peri...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Prenatal: Occurring or existing before birth.

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Radius: The smaller of the two bones of the forearm, located on the thumb's side. (The lar...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Resolution: In genetics, the degree of molecular detail on a physical map of DNA. Resoluti...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Specificity: 1. The quality of being specific as, for example, she showed the use o...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Strain: 1. An injury to a tendon or muscle resulting from overuse or trauma. 2. A heredita...

Sunscreen: A substance that blocks the effect of the sun's harmful rays. Using lotions tha...

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Taste: A perception that results from stimulation of a gustatory nerve. Taste belongs to t...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

Trimester: In obstetrics, one of the three divisions of three months each during pregnancy...

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

Tummy: 1. "Babytalk" referring to the stomach. The word tummy is derived from stoma...

Type 1 diabetes: See Diabetes, type 1.

Upper leg: More properly called the thigh, the upper leg is the area between the knee and ...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce, store, and discharge urine. These orga...

Uterine bleeding: See: Menstruation. See also Menometrorrhagia; Menorrhagia; Metrorrhagia....

Uterus: A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between th...

Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin which promotes the intestinal absorption and metabolism of ca...

Vitamins: The word "vitamin" was coined in 1911 by the Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk...

Zinc: A mineral that is essential to the body and is a constituent of many enzymes that pe...