Fetal distress
Fetal distress: Compromise of a fetus during the antepartum period (before labor) or intrapartum period (during the birth process). The term fetal distress is commonly used to describe fetal hypoxia (low oxygen levels in the fetus), which can result in fetal damage or death if it is not reversed or if the fetus is not promptly delivered. Fetal distress can be detected via abnormal slowing of labor, changes in fetal heart rate, the presence of meconium (dark green fecal material from the fetus) or other abnormal substances in the amniotic fluid, or fetal monitoring with an electronic device that shows a fetal scalp pH of less than 7.2.
Read Also:
- Fetal dystocia
Fetal dystocia: Dystocia caused by the fetus, due to its size (too big), shape, or position in the uterus.
- Fetal fibronectin
Fetal fibronectin: A protein produced during pregnancy and the basis of a test for preterm delivery. Fetal fibronectin (fFN) functions as a “glue” attaching the fetal sac to the uterine lining. The presence of fFN during weeks 22-34 of a high-risk pregnancy, along with symptoms of labor, suggests that the “glue” is disintegrating ahead of […]
- Fetal infant
Fetal infant: An extremely low birth weight infant. A very, small infant. One, for example, with a birth weight of 400 to 500 grams.
- Fetal mortality rate
Fetal mortality rate: The ratio of fetal deaths divided by the sum of the births (the live births + the fetal deaths) in that year. In the United States, the fetal mortality rate plummeted from 19.2 per 1,000 births in 1950 to 9.2 per 1,000 births in 1980. However, the fetal mortality rate is higher […]
- Fetal pleural effusion
Fetal pleural effusion: In the fetus, excess fluid between the two membranes (the pleurae) that envelop the lungs. The pleural effusion may be unilateral (in one lung) or bilateral (in both lungs) and it may be an isolated finding in an otherwise normal fetus or be associated with generalized edema (hydrops). If untreated, fetal pleural […]