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General Glossary of Cerebral/Erb's Palsy Terms
Anesthesia: Anesthesia is a type of drug used for surgery or other medical reasons (such as labor and childbirth) to temporarily reduce or eradicate all feeling either in a part of the body or the entire body for the duration or the medical procedure or other length of time deemed appropriate by the anesthesiologist.
Anterior Shoulder: The anterior shoulder is considered the front part of the shoulder in humans. It is the part of the shoulder that gets trapped during shoulder dystocia.
Apgar Score: The Apgar score is the number score achieved by a newborn upon their delivery based on their assessed evaluation on the Apgar test.
Apgar: The Apgar is a test that was developed by U.S. physician Virginia Apgar to evaluate the state of health in a newborn infant. It measures respiratory function, heart rate, skin color, and muscle tone, among other heath indicators, and also checks for birth defects and birth injuries, such as Erb's Palsy and cerebral palsy.
Apneic Spells: Apneic spells occur when individuals-particularly infants-suffer random or periodic and temporary spells in which their breathing stops while they are sleeping. Apnea is also common in obese people.
Asphyxia: Asphyxia, most commonly caused by choking, strangulation, drowning, or carbon monoxide poisoning, refers to a condition where there is a major decrease in oxygen and increase of carbon dioxide in the body which leads to unconsciousness and often death. Asphyxia can be self-inflicted or accidental. It can also occur during labor, resulting in fetal asphyxia brain injuries, including cerebral palsy.
Asphyxial Injury: An asphyxial injury is an injury that results from asphyxia, whether self-inflicted or accidental. Typical asphyxia injuries include drowning, poisoning, unconsciousness, and brain injuries. Fetal asphyxia brain injuries occur from asphyxia during labor, and asphyxia during labor is considered one of the causes of cerebral palsy.
Avulsion Injury to Brachial Plexus: An avulsion injury to the brachial plexus is a type of brachial plexus injury or Erb's Palsy-generally considered the most serious type-in which a nerve is torn away from its attachment to the spine.
Baby's "Station": A baby's "station" refers to its position inside the mother during labor and delivery. More specifically, it indicates the position of the head of the fetus as it descends through the mother's pelvis.
Birth Canal: The birth canal is the term used to describe the passage through which babies travel to exit the mother's body and enter the outside world. The birth canal comprises the cervix, vagina, and vulva.
Birth Defect: A birth defect is a congenital disorder (medical condition at birth) that specifically refers to a significant structural abnormality, which could be hereditary, or the result of something the mother consumed (illegal drugs, alcohol, certain medications, etc.) or did not consume (enough folic acid). Birth defects include spina bifida, physical malformations or missing body parts, and brain defects that can cause cerebral palsy.
BPI (Brachial Plexus Injury): BPI is the abbreviation for brachial plexus injury, also known as Erb's Palsy, which refers to an injury of the brachial plexus, which normally occurs from high-speed vehicle accidents or, in infants, from a difficult delivery.
Brachial Plexus Injury: A brachial plexus injury, also called Erb's Palsy, is an injury to the brachial plexus, the group of nerves connecting the spine to the nerves that support and control the upper limb, that can occur obstetrically (from a difficult labor) in a newborn, or traumatically (most often from vehicle accidents) at any age.
Brachial Plexus: The brachial plexus is a network of nerve fibers and cables in the human body that runs from the spinal cord, down the neck and the armpit area, and into the arm. Its function is to innervate (supply with nerves) the whole upper limb (shoulder, armpit, arm, and hand).
Bradycardiac Spells: Bradycardiac spells are random spells in which the heartbeat slows down to an abnormal rate; less than 60 beats per minute in adults.
Brain Damage: Brain damage is damage done to the human brain as a result of a disease, other underlying medical condition, or an accident resulting in injury.
Breaches of the Standard of Care: A breach of the standard of care refers to the legal negligence related to or the violation of a particular level of care (i.e., caution and discretion) required for someone (like a doctor) under duty of care, which is defined as a legal responsibility enforced upon them requiring them to use a certain degree of care in their practice. The term "malpractice" is often used in conjunction with breach of the standard of care.
Cerebral Palsy: Cerebral palsy is a disorder generally caused by a brain defect present at birth or a brain injury occurring at birth that can often be characterized by paralysis, muscular weakness, impairment, and lack of coordination, as well as learning difficulties and speech impairment.
Complete Brachial Plexus Impairment: Complete brachial plexus impairment relates to a traction-related injury, such as shoulder dystocia, in which the brachial plexus is completely impaired.
Difficult Labor: Difficult labor, also known as dystocia, is a labor experienced by a woman that is long, hard, abnormal, or wrought with complications. Generally speaking, a difficult labor indicates the need for an operative (or medically assisted) vaginal delivery.
Elective Cesarean: An elective cesarean, or a planned cesarean, is a cesarean section (or C-section)-surgery of a pregnant woman's stomach and uterus to deliver the baby-conducted when the woman is not in labor, for medical reasons, obstetrical reasons where a natural labor and delivery is not possible or recommended, or the specific choice of the mother.
Entrapped Shoulder: An epidural is a form of regional anesthetic injected into the spine whereby much, if not all, of the sensation (anesthesia) and/or pain (analgesia) is temporarily lost in the abdominal, pelvic, and genital areas; used during labor for women who request it (for pain relief), as well as for gynecological surgery.
Excessive Force During Delivery: Excessive force during delivery occurs when a doctor, nurse, or midwife applies excessive force to a laboring woman and/or infant in the birth canal during the delivery of that infant, which can cause delivery complications and could result in birth trauma or birth injuries, such as brain damage, which could lead to cerebral palsy. It is considered a form of medical malpractice.
Fetal Brain Damage: Fetal brain damage is damage done to the brain of a fetus during pregnancy or during childbirth and can be hereditary, the result of something the mother was exposed to, or a problem or complication during labor and delivery. Fetal brain damage can result in cerebral palsy.
Fetal Distress: Fetal distress refers to an abnormal condition of a fetus or signs in a pregnant woman that the fetus is not doing well, usually discovered and diagnosed during labor as an abnormal heart rate or rhythm, but can exist in other forms (such as breech position or shoulder dystocia) as well as earlier in the pregnancy.
Fetal Monitor Strip: A fetal monitor strip is an electric device generally placed over a pregnant woman's abdomen and is used to monitor the fetus-particularly its heartbeat for indications of stress or distress-during labor and delivery.
Fetal Sonographic Measures: Fetal sonographic measures are the specific sonographic measurements and results of a fetal sonogram.
Forceps: Forceps is a medical instrument that comprises a pair of strong and sturdy pincers that's used as an extractor, particularly for babies during childbirth who are unable to be fully pushed through the birth canal using the mother's pushing alone.
Full Dilation: Full dilation, insofar as it relates to labor, refers to the complete dilation of the cervix-which is 10 cm-in preparation for childbirth. The cervix must be dilated to the full 10 cm before the pushing stage can begin. Effacement, or the thinning of the cervix, goes along in conjunction with dilation, and must be at 100% before pushing.
Fundal Height: The fundal height is a term of measurement used by obstetricians, gynecologists, family doctors, and midwives to measure the distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus to determine whether the uterus is growing in accordance with a pregnant women's due date.
Fundal Pressure: Fundal pressure is considered a form as assistance during delivery in which a health-care professional presses down on a laboring woman's abdomen in order to help deliver the baby. It is controversial in that its risks generally outweigh its benefits, as it can cause harm to the mother and birth injuries, like brain damage, which can cause cerebral palsy, to the infant.
Gestation Period: The gestation period refers to the specific and full length of time of gestation-or pregnancy, during which an embryo and fetus develop. The gestation period in humans averages nine months, or around 266 days.
Gestation: Gestation is actually another term for pregnancy, and refers to the entire length of development of a human or animal from conception until birth. In humans, gestation lasts for an average of nine months.
Gestational Diabetes: Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that affects women for the first time while they are pregnant, although only a small percentage of pregnant women get gestational diabetes. The cause is generally understood to be because of a pregnant woman's hormones, which can cause high blood sugar.
Glucose Intolerance: Glucose intolerance is associated with insulin resistance and is considered a pre-diabetic condition known as dysglycemia.
Hip Flexion During Childbirth: Hip flexion during childbirth involves the hip flexors bending the hips during childbirth.
Hip Flexion: Hip flexion refers to the bending of the hips using hip flexors, the muscles in the hips that, when contracted, bend the hips.
Infant Eye Deviation: Infant eye deviation occurs when the muscles of an infant's eyes are underdeveloped and "unlearned" in that they are unable to control the eye movements properly, resulting in uncoordinated movement and misaligned appearance.
Infant Lip Smacking: Infant lip smacking refers to the smacking of the lips in infants, which can be the result of mimicking an adult's sounds and behavior, a sign of hunger (ready to breastfeed, etc.), or, more seriously, an associated sign or symptom of a seizure or neurological disorder like cerebral palsy.
Infant Seizures: Infant seizures are seizures (sudden spasms or convulsions) that occur in infants, which are generally considered to be very serious.
Infant Tongue Thrusting: Infant tongue thrusting is considered a physiological behavior in infants in which they flatten and thrust their tongue forward while swallowing and speaking and sometimes making other verbal sounds.
Informed Consent: Informed consent refers to the consent given by a patient to a medical professional to have a surgery or another medical procedure done (or to take part in a clinical study) only after the patient has received all the information about the procedure (including potential risks or side-effects associated with it).
Ischial Spines: The ischial spines are small, thin, pointy, bony, and triangular prominences extending backward from the posterior part of the ischiums, the lowest major bones found in each half of the pelvis.
Jerky Movement: Jerky movement refers to uncontrollable, spasm-like, random, sporadic, and very quick movements and motions in the body that serve no purpose and often interrupt normal movements. It can be a manifestation of Erb's Palsy or cerebral palsy in babies who experienced birth injuries.
Labor: Labor is the process of childbirth starting from the onset of the first uterine contractions and ending when the infant leaves the mother's body after being pushed out.
Learning Disabilities: Learning disabilities, or learning disorders, refer to an infant's, child's, or teenager's hindered ability to learn new skills, particularly as they relate to language skills (speech, reading, spelling, writing), and understanding new mathematical concepts, caused by a number of diseases, disorders, or conditions (generally neurological in nature, but could also be cognitive or psychological). Cerebral palsy is known for causing learning disabilities.
Maternal Exhaustion from Labor: A laboring woman experiences maternal exhaustion from labor when her body is overtired and has gone passed its limits during a difficult labor or a very long labor (or both). Maternal exhaustion from labor often requires medical interventions such as forceps, a vacuum, or even an emergency C-section.
Medical Malpractice: Medical malpractice refers to the failure of a medical professional (doctor, physician, surgeon, nurse) to perform his or her expected duties because of ignorance, negligence, or criminal intent, most often when a complication, injury, or death occurs as a result.
Medical Record: A medical record is a patient's written account of their medical history, all their doctor visits, symptomatic complaints, allergies, tests and examinations, treatments, and diagnoses.
Metabolic Acidosis: Metabolic acidosis is a pH imbalance wherein too much acid exists inside the body without enough base to neutralize it, caused by starvation, a starvation-like diet, lack of insulin, a condition or disorder of the gastro-intestinal tract, or, in more severe cases, poisoning or drug overdose.
Mid-pelvic Delivery: A mid-pelvic delivery is an assisted delivery where a baby is delivered using forceps or vacuum extraction when it's reached the middle of the mother's pelvis in its descent.
Nerve Damage: Nerve damage refers to damage done to a nerve, several nerves, or a group of nerves in the body; generally the result of a neurological disease, or an injury to the nerve or nerve group. Nerve damage is also sometimes referred to as neuropathy, which is defined as any type of abnormality, disease, or condition of the nervous system. During labor and childbirth, shoulder dystocia can cause nerve damage in the form of Erb's Palsy, an injury to the brachial plexus.
Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury (OBPI): Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury, or OBPI, refers to an injury of the brachial plexus (Erb's Palsy) that occurs to a newborn infant during delivery (particularly a long and difficult labor), whereby this group of nerve fibers are stretched and then torn.
Operative Vaginal Delivery: Operative vaginal delivery is an assisted vaginal delivery where a doctor or other qualified health-care professional must use a forceps device or special vacuum in order to help the laboring mother expel the fetus from her body.
Pediatric Medical Malpractice: Pediatric medical malpractice involves the failure of a pediatric health-care professional (such as a pediatrician or pediatric nurse) to comply with the medical standards associated with his or her job by acting in an ignorant, negligent, or criminally intent manner toward his or her patient (an infant, child, or teenager), which results in injury or other complication.
Pelvic Wall: The pelvic wall is the network of muscles and ligaments that support the pelvis, the bony structure situated in between the hips.
Permanent Brachial Plexus Injuries: Permanent brachial plexus injuries are injuries to the brachial plexus considered to be permanent (lifelong) in nature, as well as more serious and consequential. Shoulder dystocia (when a fetus' shoulder is trapped behind its mother's pelvis) is a leading cause of permanent brachial plexus injuries (also referred to as Erb's Palsy).
Precipitous Labor: A precipitous labor is a labor that progresses extremely rapidly, and the entire labor and delivery process is usually less than three hours long in total, which can provide a number of complications, including birth injuries.
Pubic Bone: The pubic bone, also called the pubis, is the forward section of both hipbones; the two pubic bones join together to form the front part of the pelvis.
Rupture Injury to Brachial Plexus: A rupture injury to the brachial plexus is a type of brachial plexus injury, or Erb's Palsy, in which the nerve is torn, but not where it attaches to the spine, rendering it a less severe injury than an avulsion injury.
Seizures: Seizures occur when an individual experiences a sudden physical spasm or convulsion that they can't control usually due to an ongoing medical condition or disorder, such as epilepsy.
Shoulder Dystocia: Shoulder dystocia is considered an obstetric emergency when, during the pushing stage of labor, the baby's anterior shoulder gets trapped behind the mother's pelvis, preventing the baby from making a safe delivery on its own. Medical attention in the form of manipulation is necessary. Shoulder dystocia can be complication-free and benign, but it can also lead to brachial plexus injuries, or Erb's Palsy.
Signs of Fetal Distress: Signs of fetal distress are signs and symptoms in a pregnant woman that signify the fetus is not faring well or there is some kind of abnormal condition. These signs include decreased fetal movement (as monitored by the mother), an abnormal heart rate or rhythm monitored by cardiotocography, meconium in the amniotic fluid, and biochemical signs such as fetal acidosis.
Sonogram: A sonogram refers to the image of either an internal body organ, or a developing fetus in utero, which is taken through ultrasonography, for diagnostic or monitoring purposes.
Sonograph: A sonograph is simply synonym for a sonogram-an image of a body organ or fetus using ultrasonography.
Sonographic Measures: Sonographic measures, or measurements, refer to the specific measurements and results discovered after an internal examination done through a sonogram.
Spastic Quadriplegia: Spastic quadriplegia is a form of cerebral palsy in which the individual has the inability to properly use and control the movements of all their limbs (arms and legs).
Suprapubic Pressure: Suprapubic pressure is a manual obstetrical maneuver used by a health-care professional on a laboring woman to help facilitate the delivery of an infant with shoulder dystocia, which can cause Erb's Palsy. The attendant makes a fist over the mother's pubic bone, and pushes the anterior shoulder lodged behind the pelvis in a direction to help the baby move freely down the birth canal.
Ultrasound Exams: Ultrasound exams are considered the same as ultrasounds-medical tests using high-frequency sound waves to create an image of and examine a specific internal body part, such as the uterus to monitor the growing fetus.
Ultrasound: The ultrasound is a medical technique in which ultrasonic waves are used to create an image of some part of the body internally for diagnosis, monitoring, or therapy. Pregnant women generally have at least one ultrasound during their gestation, usually at a half-way point in their pregnancy, in order to monitor the growing fetus. An ultrasound can also check for birth defects.
Umbilical Cord pH: The umbilical cord refers to the acid-base balance in the umbilical cord, which is attached from the fetus' navel to the placenta in utero.
Umbilical Cord: The umbilical cord is the "cord" that connects a growing fetus at his or her navel with the placenta inside its mother's uterus and is used to bring nutrients and sustenance to the fetus as well as remove waste.
Vacuum Extractor: The vacuum extractor, also known as a ventouse, is a type of vacuum device that's used in the technique known as vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery as an alternative to forceps to help delivery a baby when he/she is not coming out on his/her own despite the mother's attempts at pushing (sometimes for hours).
Vaginal Delivery: Vaginal delivery is the delivery of a baby pushed through and out of the vagina after the cervix has dilated to 10 centimeters and the baby moves down the vagina, head first.
Weeks of Gestation: The term "weeks of gestation" refers to how many weeks along a woman or female animal is in her gestation, or pregnancy, which generally lasts about 40 weeks total.
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