Perinatal transmission


Transmission of a disease-causing agent (a pathogen) from mother to baby during the perinatal period, the period immediately before and after birth. The perinatal period is defined in diverse ways. Depending on the definition, it starts at the 20th to 28th week of gestation and ends 1 to 4 weeks after birth. The perinatally transmitted pathogen might, for example, be HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus) and transmission might occur across the placenta or in the breast milk. Also called vertical transmission.

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  • Perinatologist

    An obstetrical subspecialist concerned with the care of the mother and fetus at higher-than-normal risk for complications. Since the perinatal period, depending on the definition, starts at the 20th to 28th week of gestation and ends 1 to 4 weeks after birth, a perinatologist logically could be a obstetrician or pediatrician but, in practice, a […]

  • Perinatology

    A subspecialty of obstetrics concerned with the care of the mother and fetus at higher-than-normal risk for complications. Since the perinatal period, depending on the definition, starts at the 20th to 28th week of gestation and ends 1 to 4 weeks after birth, perinatology logically could be an obstetrical and pediatric subspecialty but, in practice, […]

  • Perineal

    Pertaining to the perineum.

  • Perineal prostatectomy

    An operation to remove the prostate gland through an incision made between the scrotum and the anus.

  • Perineum

    The area between the anus and the scrotum in the male and between the anus and the vulva (the labial opening to the vagina) in the female. An episiotomy is a surgical procedure to widen the outlet of the birth canal to facilitate delivery of the baby and avoid a jagged rip of the perineum.


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