Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of the Childbearing & Childrearing Family, 7th edition – Glossary from A TO Z.837 Q&A.

Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of
the Childbearing & Childrearing Family,
7th edition – Glossary from A TO Z.837
Q&A.
Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of
the Childbearing & Childrearing Family,
7th edition – Glossary from A TO Z.837
Q&A.
A - ANSWER



abortion: - ANSWER any interruption of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable (a stage of development
that

will enable the fetus to survive outside the uterus if born at that time)



absorption: - ANSWER transfer of a drug from its point of entry in the body into the bloodstream



abstinence: - ANSWER refraining from sexual intercourse



abstract thought: - ANSWER final stage in cognitive thought processes; allows problem solving and

creating hypotheses



accommodation: - ANSWER adjustment of the eye to focus on a close image (ophthalmology); the ability
to

adapt thought processes to fit what is perceived (Piaget)



acculturation: - ANSWER the process of losing cultural beliefs and values to those of a dominant society



acrocyanosis: - ANSWER cyanosis (blue color) in the feet and hands

,Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of
the Childbearing & Childrearing Family,
7th edition – Glossary from A TO Z.837
Q&A.
acute bilirubin encephalopathy: permanent damage of brain cells caused when high levels

(about 20 mg-100 ml) of indirect bilirubin leave the bloodstream and interfere with the chemical

synthesis of brain cells



acute pain: - ANSWER sharp pain, generally occurring abruptly after an injury

acyanotic heart disease: heart or circulatory anomalies that involve either a stricture to the flow

of blood or a shunt that moves blood from the arterial to the venous system (oxygenated to

unoxygenated blood, or left-to-right shunts)



adolescence: - ANSWER the time period between 13 years and 18 to 20 years



adrenarche: - ANSWER pubic and axillary hair that occur with puberty

adventitious sounds: extra or abnormal breathing sounds

affective learning: learning that involves a change in attitude



afterload: - ANSWER the resistance against which the cardiac ventricles must pump



afterpains: - ANSWER intermittent cramping due to uterine contraction during involution in the
postpartal

period



age of viability: - ANSWER the earliest age at which fetuses could survive if they were born at that time;

generally accepted as 24 weeks, or fetuses weighing more than 400 g



alleles: - ANSWER two like genes

,Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of
the Childbearing & Childrearing Family,
7th edition – Glossary from A TO Z.837
Q&A.

allergen: - ANSWER antigen that causes the release of mediating substances causing tissue injury and

allergic symptoms



allogeneic transplantation: - ANSWER transfer of body tissues from an immune-compatible

(histocompatible) donor



allografting: - ANSWER transfer of body tissue between two genetically dissimilar individuals



Alport's syndrome: - ANSWER a progressive chronic glomerulonephritis inherited as an autosomal

dominant disorder



alternative birthing center: - ANSWER a setting for birth separate from a hospital



alternative insemination: - ANSWER assistive reproductive technique, in which sperm is deposited into a

woman's cervix or uterus



amblyopia: - ANSWER reduced vision in one eye; ―lazy eye‖



amenorrhea: - ANSWER absence of a menstrual flow



amniocentesis: - ANSWER the withdrawal of amniotic fluid from the uterus by means of introduction of
a

needle through the abdominal and uterine wall

, Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of
the Childbearing & Childrearing Family,
7th edition – Glossary from A TO Z.837
Q&A.
amnioinfusion: - ANSWER enlarging the amount of amniotic fluid by administration of normal saline or

lactated Ringer's solution intravaginally into the uterus



amniotic fluid embolism: - ANSWER condition in which amniotic fluid is forced into maternal circulation

and travels to the lungs as small emboli



amniotic membrane: - ANSWER the innermost membrane surrounding the fetus; it secretes amniotic
fluid



amniotomy: - ANSWER artificial rupturing of membranes during labor if they do not rupture
spontaneously



analgesia: - ANSWER a medication that reduces or decreases awareness of pain



anaphylaxis: - ANSWER acute hypersensitivity (type I) reaction characterized by extreme vasodilation
that

leads to circulatory shock and extreme bronchoconstriction that decreases the airway lumens



andrology: - ANSWER the branch of medicine that treats the male and diseases specific to the male sex



anesthesia: - ANSWER a medication that causes partial or complete loss of sensation



anhedonia: - ANSWER inability to remember the last time when a person felt happy or had a good time



ankle clonus: - ANSWER continued motion of the foot