Spirit of Life
Terms and Definitions v1.3.1
This is a concise directory of medical terminology relating to midwifery, pregnancy, birth and womens health. To learn more about Spirit of Life Traditional Midwifery click here and "Discovery Your Alternatives"
View our terms and definitions below.
Prenatal Profile I with Help B Surface Ag
This prenatal blood profile is used to evaluate women's health status in early pregnancy; evaluate for anemia, leukemia, reaction to inflammation and infections, peripheral blood cellular characteristics, state of hydration and dehydration, polycythemia, hemolytic disease of the newborn, and ABO incompatibilities.
•Abnormal results may require further evaluation by your obstetrician.
A gynecologic examination by a healthcare provider where the female reproductive tract is examined manually for abnormalities. At the same time, a small sample of tissue is removed from the cervix using a small wooden spatula (called the PAP Smear). ...
•Cervical smear: a sample of secretions and superficial cells of the uterine cervix and uterus; examined with a microscope to detect any abnormal ...
•The Papanicolaou test (also called Pap smear, Pap test, cervical smear, or smear test) is a screening test used in gynecology to detect premalignant and malignant (cancerous) processes in the ectocervix. Significant changes can be treated, thus preventing cervical cancer. ...
Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae and is a common sexually transmitted infection. In the US, its incidence is second only to chlamydia.
•Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae and is a common sexually transmitted infection. In the US, its incidence is second only to chlamydia. A discharge resembling pus, from the urethra, with heat of urine, etc., after impure coition, to which often succeeds a discharge of mucous from the urethra, with little or no dysury, called the gleet.
•Chlamydia is a disease, usually sexually transmitted, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis; the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US Chlamydia may be asymptomatic or may cause genital inflammation and discharge, pelvic pain, and fever; untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic ...
Pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes Screening
All pregnant patients should be screened for gestational diabetes during their pregnancy. Screening may be done via patient history, clinical risk factors, or laboratory screening (the oral glucose tolerance test.
Diabetes screen and repeat blood tests at 28 & 36 weeks tests include:
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
The oral glucose tolerance test is used to screen for gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop in some women late in pregnancy (usually after the 24th week). Women who develop gestational diabetes do not have diabetes before becoming pregnant.
Timing of Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
The test is generally given between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. If you have had gestational diabetes before, or if your health care provider is concerned about your risk of developing gestational diabetes, the test may be performed before the 13th week of pregnancy.
Process of Oral Glucose Tolerance Testing
The oral glucose tolerance test involves quickly drinking a sweetened liquid (called Glucola), which contains 50 g of glucose. The body absorbs this glucose rapidly, causing blood glucose levels to rise within 30 to 60 minutes. A blood sample will be taken from a vein in your arm about 60 minutes after drinking the solution. The blood test measures how the glucose solution was metabolized (processed by the body).
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Results
A blood glucose of 140mg/dL will identify 80% of women with gestational diabetes. When that cutoff is lowered to 130mg/dL the yield increases to 90%. If your blood glucose level was greater than 130 mg/dL, your provider will likely recommend you take another diabetes screening test that requires you to fast (not eat anything) before the test. During this second test, called the 100-gram oral glucose tolerance test, your blood glucose level will be tested four times during a three-hour period after drinking the cola-like drink. If two out of the four blood tests are abnormal, you are considered to have gestational diabetes.
What are the symptoms of HIV infection?
The only reliable way to tell if you are infected with HIV is to get tested. This is because many people with HIV do not experience symptoms for years after the initial infection or have symptoms that are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses. Click here for information from the CDC on symptoms of HIV infection.
When does AIDS develop?
Symptoms of the initial HIV infection can mimic those of influenza and other viral infections. The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. According to the CDC, AIDS is diagnosed when your CD4 T-cell count drops below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood or when you have HIV and an AIDS-related illness such as tuberculosis. Click here for more information from the CDC.
What are the treatments for HIV/AIDS?
Currently, there is no cure for HIV or AIDS. However, there are therapies that can help. The CDC’s booklet, Living with HIV/AIDS, is available online. The FDA also offers an online list of FDA-approved therapies. Early treatment is recommended.
Should I tell anyone else of my test results?
Yes. If you test positive for HIV, it is important that you tell your health care providers as well as all current and future sex partners and/or anyone with whom you share needles. Counseling services are often available from the clinic that performed the test or from your health care provider that will help you to inform the people who need to know.
How confidential are HIV test results?
Your HIV status, like other medical conditions and test results, is protected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule and cannot be shared with friends, family, or employers without your written permission. Your HIV status may be shared with your health care providers who have a “need to know” in order to treat you. Also, in order to determine the incidence of HIV and to provide appropriate prevention and care services, all new cases of HIV are reported to state and local health departments.
Certain testing centers provide either anonymous (your name is never given) or confidential (your name is given but kept private) HIV testing and counseling. The FDA has approved one home testing device that allows you to remain anonymous and to get confidential results. You can also contact your state, county, or city health department to find out where testing may be available.
Can you use the HIV antibody test to detect HIV in newborns?
No. Because maternal antibodies are transferred from mother to baby and stay in the newborn’s system for 6–12 months, a different test must be used. This test is called the HIV DNA test (see FAQ #2 here).
Are there HIV testing methods other than a blood test?
Yes. Methods that test either oral fluid or urine are available in some locations. The CDC has more information on the different types of HIV screening tests available in the U.S. (click here).
Screening the mother:
All pregnant women in the United States should be counseled about HIV early in their pregnancy and receive voluntary HIV testing to protect the child’s health. This is the recommendation of many groups, including the U.S. Public Health Service, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Repeating the test in the third trimester is of value to those at high risk for HIV infection.
Screening the baby:
In the United States, if the mother’s HIV status is not determined before or during pregnancy or during labor and delivery, health care providers recommend that the newborn be given an HIV test within 24 hours of the birth (in a few states, this is a requirement; seeNewborn Screening). Treatment begun within 48 hours of birth helps prevent a baby who was exposed to the virus from becoming infected.
More About HIV and Pregnancy
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). If a pregnant woman is infected with HIV, the virus can be passed to and infect her baby.
The screening HIV test detects antibodies to HIV in the blood. At least 90% to 95% of individuals who are infected with HIV will, within 3 months of exposure, develop enough antibodies to have a positive HIV test; over 99% of HIV-infected individuals will have a positive test within 6 months. HIV testing involves two steps: a screening test and a confirmatory test done automatically by the laboratory. If your test is performed at home or by a rapid test at a clinic, a positive result will need to be confirmed by a laboratory.
If a woman’s confirmatory tests indicate an HIV infection, she will want to consult with her health care provider before becoming pregnant about the risks of infecting a baby and the effects of the pregnancy on her health. While a pregnant woman with an HIV infection does have the virus present in her body and can infect others, treatments given during pregnancy can help minimize the chance of passing the HIV infection to her baby.
A negative test for the antibody to HIV may mean that there is no infection or that a sufficient amount of the antibody has not yet been produced to be detected. If a woman participates in high-risk activities that may transmit HIV, such as unprotected sexual contact or intravenous drug use, she should be retested one or more additional times during the pregnancy.
~Pregnancy & Prenatal Testing
Pregnancy is the period of time when a fetus develops inside a woman’s uterus and ends with the birth of the infant. Pregnancies typically involve a variety of clinical laboratory tests. The tests provide useful information from the time pregnancy is first considered through the initial days of the newborn’s life. Some of these tests are performed at specified times throughout the pregnancy. Others are ordered as needed to detect and address conditions or problems that arise during pregnancy. Still others are offered to women who have increased risks because of their age or lifestyle and, finally, certain tests are selectively chosen based on the personal and family medical histories of the woman and her partner.
The purposes of prenatal tests are to screen for and diagnose any existing problems that may affect the mother’s or baby’s health, identify and address problems as they arise, and assess the risk of a baby having a chromosomal or genetic abnormality. The tests generally require just a small sample of easily obtained blood, urine, or cervical cells.
The following pages contain information on many of these routine and some less routine tests. Your health care provider may recommend additional tests based on your medical history. Parents-to-be are encouraged to ask their health care providers why specific tests are being offered to them. Health care providers and reliable Internet sources, such as the March of Dimes and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can help you understand the risks and benefits of each test.
Below is a table summarizing these tests:
- Second Trimester (13 – 27 weeks)
The laboratory tests performed during the second trimester of pregnancy provide information to evaluate both actual and potential medical problems in the baby while continuing to monitor the mother’s health during the pregnancy.
- Routine tests:
- Selective tests:
Many women have an ultrasound diagnostic imaging test as part of their routine prenatal care, often between weeks 18 and 20. This non-invasive test, also called a sonogram, may also be useful earlier, later, or again during the pregnancy. Ask your health care provider what is appropriate in your situation.
- Third Trimester (from 28 weeks to delivery, around 40 weeks)
The laboratory tests used during these weeks are primarily directed toward preparing for the birth of a healthy baby and may include the following:
- Routine tests:
If a woman participates in high-risk activities that may transmit HIV or hepatitis B, such as unprotected sexual contact or intravenous drug use, retesting for these infections during the third trimester is recommended. It is also recommended, and in some states required, that testing for sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis be performed or repeated in the third trimester (See the Pre-conception section for additional information; click here).
The pregnant woman may also be given a non-stress test. This non-invasive test, given after week 26 or 28, is used mostly in high-risk pregnancies or when a baby is past due. The test measures the fetus’ heart rate as it relates to movement.
When the health care provider is concerned about how contractions will affect the fetus’ heart rate, the non-stress test may be followed by a contraction stress test. The woman is given a medication that induces mild contractions (stress), after which the heart rate of the fetus is again monitored.
Immunity to rubella (German measles)
All women considering a first-time pregnancy or those who are pregnant for the first time should be tested to see if they have this immunity. A blood specimen is tested to see if a sufficient amount of antibody is present in the blood to protect the pregnant woman and the fetus. If a woman does not have enough antibodies and is not currently pregnant, she may be given a rubella vaccination. She should then wait about 2 to 3 months before becoming pregnant.
Learn More»
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody test
Testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection has become routine prenatal care in the United States. Some states even require that all pregnant women or their newborns be tested.
Read More»
More Resources»
Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) & Chlamydia and Syphilis Screen
•Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae and is a common sexually transmitted infection. In the US, its incidence is second only to chlamydia. A discharge resembling pus, from the urethra, with heat of urine, etc., after impure coition, to which often succeeds a discharge of mucous from the urethra, with little or no dysury, called the gleet.
•Chlamydia is a disease, usually sexually transmitted, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis; the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US Chlamydia may be asymptomatic or may cause genital inflammation and discharge, pelvic pain, and fever; untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic ...
Read More»
More Resources»
Pap smear: Early detection of abnormal cervical cells and infections and early treatment, if necessary, offer the best chance to prevent any problems from progressing and potentially affecting the health of the baby and the success of the pregnancy.
Read More»
More Resources»
Hepatitis B screening
It is important to detect active hepatitis B infections in pregnant women because newborns are especially vulnerable to developing chronic infection; up to 90% of those who become infected with hepatitis B in utero will become carriers. If a hepatitis infection is detected in a pregnant woman, she can be monitored and the baby can receive treatment at birth to minimize the risk of it developing hepatitis B.
Learn More»
Varicella zoster viral testing
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the illness known as chickenpox. Although most (85% to 90%) of pregnant women have already been exposed to the virus and therefore are immune, some may not have had the infection.
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TORCH panel
The TORCH panel is used to screen for certain infectious diseases that can cause birth defects in a baby if the mother contracts them during the pregnancy.
•Chlamydia is a disease, usually sexually transmitted, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis; the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US Chlamydia may be asymptomatic or may cause genital inflammation and discharge, pelvic pain, and fever; untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic ...
Links
March of Dimes: Toxoplasmosis
CDC: Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy: Facts and Prevention
More Resources»
Bacterial vaginosis – if the woman has symptoms
Untreated bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy can result in amniotic fluid infection, premature rupture of the membranes, premature delivery, low birth weight of the baby, and possibly pelvic inflammatory disease in the mother.
More Resources»
First Trimester: Pregnancy Test
If pregnancy is only suspected, or if the pregnancy test was not performed through the health care provider (such as an at-home urine pregnancy test), then a pregnancy test may be requested to confirm that a woman is pregnant.
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First, Second, Third Trimesters: Urine Screen for Sugar and/or Protein
High sugar levels may be a sign of gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. A positive urine test for sugar will usually be followed by a confirmatory blood glucose test, which is also routinely performed during the second trimester.
Read More»
More Resources»
Urine culture to detect bacteriuria
Several organizations, including the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), recommend that pregnant women be screened for asymptomatic bacteriuria using a urine culture between 12 and 16 weeks gestation or at the first prenatal visit, if later (ACOG recommends first prenatal visit and repeated in the third trimester).
More Resources»
Hemoglobin test
To prevent these problems, the hemoglobin level of a woman’s blood should be checked before pregnancy, if possible, at the beginning of pregnancy, and one or more times during pregnancy.
More Resources»
Antibody screen
Although Rh incompatibility has more severe consequences, one of the most common causes of HDN is actually an incompatibility between the mother’s and baby’s ABO blood groups, not the Rh factor. However, the indirect antiglobulin test cannot be used to predict whether HDN will occur because antibodies to the ABO blood groups are naturally occurring.
More Resources»
First trimester Down syndrome screen
The first trimester Down syndrome screen is usually performed between 10 weeks, 4 days and 13 weeks, 6 days of the pregnancy and includes the measurement of blood levels of pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and either free or total human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG).
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Triple marker or quad marker screen
To prevent these problems, the hemoglobin level of a woman’s blood should be checked before pregnancy, if possible, at the beginning of pregnancy, and one or more times during pregnancy.
More Resources»
Antibody screen
Although Rh incompatibility has more severe consequences, one of the most common causes of HDN is actually an incompatibility between the mother’s and baby’s ABO blood groups, not the Rh factor. However, the indirect antiglobulin test cannot be used to predict whether HDN will occur because antibodies to the ABO blood groups are naturally occurring.
More Resources»
Cordocentesis
The first trimester Down syndrome screen is usually performed between 10 weeks, 4 days and 13 weeks, 6 days of the pregnancy and includes the measurement of blood levels of pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and either free or total human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG).
More Resources»
Third Trimester: Group B Streptococcus
Group B streptococcus is a bacterium that is present as part of the normal flora in the vagina and gastrointestinal areas of 10% to 30% of women. It is usually not a problem, except when it is present in the vagina during delivery. In this case, it can spread to infect the uterus, amniotic fluid, urinary tract, and any incision made during a cesarean section. At delivery, when the baby passes through the birth canal, the bacteria can be inhaled or ingested.
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Hemoglobin and platelet count
All women lose a small amount of blood during delivery. Although this is usually not a problem, even a small amount of blood loss can be harmful to women with anemia. A health care provider may want to know the level of hemoglobin in a pregnant woman’s blood before delivery to assess the possible impact of the expected blood loss. (Refer to the first trimester section for additional information; click here.)
More Resources»
Second and Third Trimesters: Amniocentesis
This diagnostic test detects some birth defects and genetic diseases, including some chromosome abnormalities (such as Down syndrome) and neural tube defects (anencephaly or spina bifida).
The test is most often offered between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation (usually around week 16) to a pregnant woman under any of the following circumstances:
•She is 35 years of age or older.
•There is a strong family history of a genetic disorder from the parents.
•Both parents possess a gene for an inherited disorder.
•The level of maternal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is either lower or higher than expected.
•A previous child in the family had a birth defect or chromosome problem.
More Resources»
- Optional Tests and Screenings:
The laboratory tests used during these weeks are primarily directed toward preparing for the birth of a healthy baby and may include the following:
- Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is approximately 20 kilohertz (20,000 hertz) in healthy, young adults and thus, 20 kHz serves as a useful lower limit in describing ultrasound. The production of ultrasound is used in many different fields, typically to penetrate a medium and measure the reflection signature or supply focused energy. The reflection signature can reveal details about the inner structure of the medium, a property also used by animals such as bats for hunting. The most well known application of ultrasound is its use in sonography to produce pictures of fetuses in the human womb. There are a vast number of other applications as well.[1]
Spirit Of Life's policy on Ultra Sounds: Learn More »
Third Trimester: Fetal Fibronectin
Fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing is performed if a woman is 26 to 34 weeks pregnant and having symptoms of premature labor. The goal then is to intervene to prevent the potentially serious health complications of a pre-term baby.
More Resources»
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