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 in certain ethnic groups and among mothers with health problems during pregnancy, especially if the mother does not receive adequate personal and prenatal health care.
The fetal mortality rate is considered a good measure of the quality of health care in a country or a medical facility.
Read Also:
- 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 […]
- Fetal rubella effects
Fetal rubella effects: The constellation of abnormalities, also called the rubella syndrome, caused by infection with the rubella (German measles) A virus before birth. The syndrome is characterized by multiple congenital malformations (birth defects) and mental retardation. The individual features of the syndrome include growth retardation, microcephaly (abnormally small head), cataracts, glaucoma, microphthalmia (abnormally small […]
- Fetal surgery
Fetal surgery: The surgical treatment of the fetus before birth. Also called prenatal or antenatal surgery. Fetal surgery is done when the fetus is not expected to live long enough to make it through to delivery or to live long after birth unless fetal surgery is performed. For instance, if a fetus has a severe […]
- Fetishism
Fetishism: Fetishism is a problem in which a person has sexual urges associated with non-living objects. The person becomes sexually aroused by wearing or touching the object. For example, the object of a fetish could be an article of clothing, such as underwear, rubber clothing, women’s shoes, or women’s underwear or lingerie. The fetish may […]
- Fetoprotein, alpha- (AFP)
Fetoprotein, alpha- (AFP): Alpha fetoprotein is a plasma protein that is normally produced by the fetus. It serves as the basis for some valuable tests. Alpha fetoprotein is manufactured principally in the fetus’s liver and gastrointestinal (GI) tract besides the yolk sac, a structure temporarily present during embryonic development. The alpha fetoprotein level is typically […]