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Search thousands of pregnancy and birth related topics in the largest free pregnancy encyclopedia on the net. |
Moro Reflex - One of the reflexes an infant is born with that usually occurs when a baby is startled by a loud noise or unexpected movement. In response, the baby will extend their legs and arms, arch the back, pull the head back and then draw the arms back with the fists clenched into the chest. Normally, the reflex disappears by six months of age.
Morula - The early stage of embryonic development that is characterized by a solid ball of 16 cells that occurs after the zygote has split.
Motility - The ability of sperm to move and progress forward through the reproductive tract and fertilize the egg. Poor motility can affect fertility.
MRI - An imaging technique that uses radio waves, magnetic fields and computer analysis to create a detailed picture of body tissues and structures. The procedure allows the heatlhcare provider to see a noninvasive view of the internal organs and bone marrow. The scans distinguish normal tissies, structures and organs from abnormal tissues, structures and organs. The fetus can be clearly observed during an MRI.
MSG - A chemical food enhancer that is used to add flavor in some foods. MSG is similar to table salt and may cause water retention during pregnancy. Some studies have linked fetal brain damage to the use of MSG during pregnancy. It is most commonly found in Chinese dishes, meat tenderizers and processed foods. When MSG is ingested, it may cause headache, sweating, numbness in the mouth, heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and/or lethargy.
Mucus Plug - A small plug of mucus that seals the cervix to protect your baby from infection. During pregnancy, secretions will accumulate and form a mucus plug at the opening of your cervix to protect against infection. The mucus plug will remain at the top of the cervix until just before labor begins. As labor begins, the cervix will begin to thin out and dilate. As this happens, your body may expel the mucus plug. The mucus plug may be stringy mucus or a sticky discharge. The mucus plug may come out all at once or it may come out over a period of time, so you might not realize that you are losing it. Sometimes the mucus has brown, pink or red streaks of blood mixed within it. This is normal and should not be a cause for conern unless there is a significant amount of blood.
Muenke Syndrome - An inherited birth defect that affects approximately 1 out of every 30,000 live births. The defect causes the bones in the skull to close too early, which will cause a misshapen head and face. Common signs and symptoms of Muenke syndrome include wide-set eyes, flattened cheekbones, large head, hand and feet abnormalities and possible hearing loss. Developmental delays are usually not present. Treatment options include surgical procedures to correct the physical appearance of the child's head and face.
Multi-Lobed Placenta - Occurs when a piece of the placenta is connected to a blood vessel and is left behind after the afterbirth has been delivered, which will lead to postpartum bleeding. A succenturiate, or accesory, lobe is a second or third placental lobe that is much smaller than the main portion of the placenta. Common risk factors associated with the condition are advanced maternal age, a woman experiencing her first pregnancy, proteinuria in the first trimester of pregnancy and deformities in the developing fetus.
Multicystic Dysplastic Kidneys - A multicsystic dysplastic kidney occurs in 1 out of every 4000 live births and is the result of abnormal fetal kidney development. A kidney that is affected will have varying sizes of cyst(s) where the kidney is and there will generally be little or no actual function in the kidney. Sometimes the condition will affect both kidneys and the baby will die because the kidneys are responsible for producing amniotic fluid to support the pregnancy. Prenatal ultrasound can diagnose the condition and there is usually no need to worry. One kidney is capable of producing amniotic fluid and handling the demands outside of the womb. However, there may be additional complications in the functioning kidney that may need to be examined and assessed. In some cases the kidney will slowly regress until an ultrasound exam shows that the kidney has completely gone away and sometimes the kidney will need to be surgically removed.
Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction - An elective procedure that is used to reduce the number of fetuses a woman carries in one pregnancy and improve the chances that the remaining fetuses will survive and develop properly. The procedure is generally done between the 9th and 12th week of pregnancy. By using an ultrasound for guidance, the doctor injects the selected fetus with a potassium chloride solution, which stops the fetal heart from beating.
Multigravida - A woman who has been pregnant more than once.
Multipara - A woman that has completed two or more pregnancies in which each fetus has reached the stage of viability regardless of whether the infant was a live or still birth.
Multiple Birth - The birth of two or more babies that are produced during the same gestational period by the same mother. Multiple births include twins, triplets, quadruplets and so forth.
Multiple Marker Screen - A protein produced by a developing fetus that is present in amniotic fluid and in the mother's blood. The early blood test is called the triple screen and should be performed between the 15th and 18th week of pregnancy. Abnormal levels of AFP can indicate abnormalities in the fetus. Elevated levels would be a sign of a neural tube defect and low levels would signal Down's syndrome.
Multivitamin - A pill or tablet containing several vitamins in one. Multivitamins are recommended for the majority of indiviudals, including women that are trying to conceive, pregnant and breastfeeding.
Murmur - An abnormal sound of the heart that can be a sign of abnormal function of the heart valves. Heart murmurs can be a result of defective heart valves, holes in the heart walls, fever and anemia. Heart murmurs that are related to congenital heart defects will be the loudest in the area of the chest where the heart problem takes place. Not all heart murmurs are dangerous and some will resolve on their own.
Mutant - An organism or cell that differs from the parental strain as a result of carrying a gene that has undergone permanent and trasmissible structural change.
Mycoplasma - A group of bacteria that can affect implantation following fertilization and pregnancy outcome in a successfully implanted egg. When the bacteria is found in the vaginal tract, it is a common cause of miscarriage. The bacteria is responsible for causing sperm antibodies to form as well as an inflammation of the uterine lining, which creates an interference of implantation following fertilization.
Myelomeningocele - A kind of spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spinal canal and backbone do not close properly during fetal development. Approximately 1 out of 800 infants will develop this condition. Because the bones of the spine are underdeveloped, the child will not have complete spinal canal. The spinal cord and surrounding tissues will protrude from the baby's back, increasing the risk of infection. It is very common for a child with myelomeningocele to also suffer from hydrocephalus, or excess fluid on the brain. Common symptoms of the birth defect include a sac sticking out of the back, lack of sensation on back, dimpling of sacral area, paralysis of legs, decreased or absent bowel/bladder control and weakness in the newborn's extremities and hips. Myelomeningocele can be discovered during a prenatal ultrasound or the triple screen test (AFP), which is offered to most women during the first trimester of pregnancy. If the defect is not discovered before pregnancy, it can be diagnosed after the baby has been delivered. Treatment options include surgery to repair the damaged spinal cord. It is very important that parents and caregivers take every precaution necessary to prevent infection in the exposed spinal cord. Antibiotics are often necessary if meningitis has developed.
Müllerian Duct Abnormality - A condition that occurs during a woman's own prental development, in which the uterus takes on an abnormal shape or structure. This type of malformation increases the risk of miscarriage or preterm delivery in an affected female.
Myoma - A benign tumor consisting of muscle tissues that can be found in or around the uterus.
Myomectomy - A surgical procedure in which a myoma, or uterine fibroid, is removed from the uterus. The surgery can be performed through an abdominal incision, which requires a bikini cut incision and hospitalization for approximately 48 hours. Other options for removal include laparascopic surgery (several small incisions) and hysteroscopic myomectomy, which would not require any incision.
Myometrium - The middle muscular layer of the uterine wall composed of smooth muscle fibers that are arranged in three layers. The external layer continues into the fallopian tubes, round ligaments of the uterus, and ligaments of the ovaries. The intermediant layer is the thickest layer and contains the largest blood vessel. The internal layer is in contact with the endometrium. In an non-pregnant female, the myometrium is dense and firm. In a pregnant female, the myometrium becomes greatly enlarged due to hypertrophy of the muscle cells.