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Common Obstetrics Terminology

This document defines common terminology used in obstetrics, including terms related to pregnancy status (gravida, para), fetal development (preterm, postterm), fetal position (presentation, lie, attitude), cervical changes during labor (dilatation, effacement), and fetal stations. Key terms are gravida, para, preterm, vertex, lie, engagement, and cervical dilatation. These terms are important for describing and assessing pregnancies and labor.

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17 views

Common Obstetrics Terminology

This document defines common terminology used in obstetrics, including terms related to pregnancy status (gravida, para), fetal development (preterm, postterm), fetal position (presentation, lie, attitude), cervical changes during labor (dilatation, effacement), and fetal stations. Key terms are gravida, para, preterm, vertex, lie, engagement, and cervical dilatation. These terms are important for describing and assessing pregnancies and labor.

Uploaded by

mystardokyeom
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Common Obstetrics

Terminology

03/11/2024
Dr. Nadia Bassuoni
Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Gravida : A pregnant woman. This refers to any pregnancy
regardless of duration.
Nulligravida : A woman who has never been pregnant.
Primigravida : A woman pregnant for the first time.
Multi-gravida: A woman who has been pregnant more than once.
Para : A woman who has delivered a viable fetus
Nullipara : A woman who has not delivered a child who reached
viability.
03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni
Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Primipara: A woman who has delivered one child after the age of
viability.
Multi-para: A woman who has delivered two or more fetuses past the
age of viability. It does not matter whether they are born dead or
alive.
Grand-multipara: A woman who has had five or more births past the
age of viability.
Viability: Refers to the capability of a fetus to survive outside the
uterus after the earliest gestational age (approximately 22 to 23
03/11/2024
Dr. Nadia Bassuoni
Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Full Term: Pregnancy from 37 completed weeks to less than 42
completed weeks (40 ± 2 weeks)
Pre Term: Pregnancy from 28 to less than 37 completed weeks
(less than 259).
Post Term: Pregnancy of 42 completed weeks or more.
Intrauterine Growth Retardation or restriction (IUGR):Fetus
with lower weight than gestational age.

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used during
Labor
Frequency: from the beginning of one contraction to the
beginning of the next contraction.
Duration: from the beginning of one contraction to the end of that
same contraction.
Intensity: refers to the strength of the contraction determined
by manual palpation or measured by an internal intrauterine
pressure catheter.
Interval: resting time between contractions.
03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni
Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Position: is the relation of the fetal back to the right or left side of the
mother and whether it is directed anteriorly or posteriorly.

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics
The denominator: is a bony landmark on the presenting part used
to denote the position.
In vertex it is the occiput.
In face it is the mentum (chin).
In breech it is the sacrum.
In shoulder it is the scapula.

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Presentation: is the part of the fetus related to the pelvic brim and
first felt during vaginal examination.
The presentation may be:
(a) Cephalic (96%):
I. Vertex: when the head is flexed.
II. Face: when the head is extended.
III. III. Brow: when it is midway between flexion and extension.
(b) Breech (3.5%).
(c) Shoulder (0.5%).

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Fetal presentation: cephalic presentations.
(A) Vertex.
(B) Military.
(C) Brow.
(D) Face.

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Lie: is the relation between the long axis of the fetus to the long axis
of the mother.
Longitudinal in cephalic and breech presentations.

Transverse or oblique in shoulder presentation.

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Attitude: is the relation of fetal parts to each other.
Flexion in the majority of cases.
Extension in face presentation.

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Engagement: is the passage of the widest transverse diameter of the
presenting part, which is the biparietal in vertex presentation, through
the pelvic inlet.

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics
Stations: Relationship of fetal head to maternal pelvis
Station 0: the vertex at the level of ischial spines.
Stations -1,-2 and -3 represents 1,2 and 3 cm respectively above the
level of ischial spines.
Stations +1, +2 and +3 represents 1,2 and 3 cm respectively below the
level of ischial spines.
In the primigravidas, engagement of the head occurs in the last 3-4
weeks of pregnancy due to the tonicity of the abdominal and uterine
muscles.
03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni
03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni
Common Terms used in Obstetrics

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics

Cervical dilatation: The cervix begins dilating and stretching


beyond the normal dimensions and is measured in centimeters.
.(0-10cm)
Cervical effacement: softening, thinning and shortening of the
.cervix. It is expressed in percentage (0 – 100%) 1

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni


Common Terms used in Obstetrics

03/11/2024 Dr. Nadia Bassuoni

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