Eclampsia Glossary of Terms

1. Stages of Pregnancy Slideshow Pictures
2. Slideshow of Early Pregnancy Symptoms
3. Early Pregnancy Symptoms Quiz

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

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Belly: That part of the body that contains all of the structures between the chest and t...

Benzodiazepines: A class of drugs that act as tranquilizers and are commonly used in the t...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Blindness: Loss of useful sight. Blindness can be temporary or permanent. Damage to any p...

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

Blurred vision: Lack of sharpness of vision with, as a result, the inability to see fine d...

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

Cervix: The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, ...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Connective tissue: A material made up of fibers forming a framework and support structure...

Connective tissue disease: A disease (autoimmune or otherwise) that attacks the collagen o...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

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

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dilation: The process of enlargement, stretching, or expansion. The word "dilatation" mean...

Due date: The estimated calendar date when a baby is due to be born. Also called the estim...

Eclampsia: Convulsions (seizures) occurring with pregnancy-associated high blood pressure ...

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

Endothelial: Relating to the endothelium.

Fetus: An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage (the end of the eighth week after concep...

Foley catheter: See: Catheter, Foley.

Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ located below the liver that stores the bile secreted by ...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

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

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

HELLP syndrome: A combination of the breakdown of red blood cells (hemolysis; the H in the...

Hemolytic: Referring to hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells which leads to the r...

Hemolytic anemia: Anemia due to the destruction, rather than underproduction, of red blood...

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

Hydatidiform mole: A tumor that forms in the uterus as a mass of cysts resembling a bunch ...

Intensive care: See critical care.

Intrauterine: In the uterus.

Intrauterine growth retardation: Abnormally slow growth of a fetus. When the baby is born,...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Labor: Childbirth, the process of delivering a baby and the placenta, membranes, and umbil...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Magnesium: A mineral involved in many processes in the body including nerve signaling, the...

Magnesium sulfate: A remarkably versatile compound administered intramuscularly and intrav...

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

Mole: 1. In dermatology a mole is a pigmented spot on the skin, Also called a nevus...

Mortality: A fatal outcome or, in one word, death. The word "mortality" is derived from "m...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

OB/GYN: A commonly used abbreviation. OB is short for obstetrics or for an obstetrician, ...

Obese: Well above ones normal weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obe...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Oxytocin: A hormone made in the brain that plays a role in childbirth and lactation by cau...

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

Placenta: A temporary organ that joins the mother and fetus, transferring oxygen and nutri...

Platelet: An irregular, disc-shaped element in the blood that assists in blood clotting....

Platelet count: The calculated number of platelets in a volume of blood, usually expressed...

Postpartum: The period just after delivery, as with postpartum depression. Postpartum refe...

Preeclampsia: A condition in pregnancy characterized by abrupt hypertension (a sharp rise...

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

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

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

Recur: To occur again; to return. For example, a symptom, sign, or disease can recur.

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

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

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

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

Systolic: The blood pressure when the heart is contracting. It is specifically the maximum...

Toxemia: A condition in pregnancy, also known as pre-eclampsia (or preeclampsia) character...

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

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

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