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Search thousands of pregnancy and birth related topics in the largest free pregnancy encyclopedia on the net. |
Operative Vaginal Delivery - A doctor may decide to assist in a vaginal delivery if there is a sudden change in the baby's heart rate, if the mother is becoming exhausted from pusing for a very long time or a condition in the mother that requires immediate delivery. An assisted delivery ccurs when the doctor performs procedures to speed up the delivery after the cervix is fully dilated, but the baby is not moving down the birth canal as expected. Generally an assisted delivery would be perfomed with either forceps or a vacuum-extractor.
Operculum - 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.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum - Inflammation of the newborn infant's eye that may be due to an infection acquired from its mother during passage through the birth canal, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. The inflammation can also be caused by a staphylococcal infection or another infection that was acquired from the hospital nursery. The condition is not as common anymore because of the use of erythromycin ointment and silver nitrate immediately after birth.
Opitz G/BBB Syndrome - A genetic birth disorder that is often referred to as Opitz syndrome. Most patients with Opitz syndrome have abnormalities in the head and face, which includes wide set eyes, cleft lip, cleft palate, slanting eyelid folds and a wide, flat nasal bridge. Male infants will likely experience undescended testicles, scrotal clefting and hypospadias, which occurs when the urinary opening is misplaced on the bottom side of the penis. Other common symptoms of the condition include underdeveloped lungs, breathing difficulties, feeding and swallowing complications, an imperforate anus, underdeveloped brain, mental retardation, kidney complications and abnormalities that affect the windpipe, larynx and pharynx. Although there is no cure for the disorder, symptoms can be treated as they develop.
Opportunisitc Infection - A secondary infection occurring in an individual whose immune system is already weakened as a result of another prevailing infection, such as AIDS or HIV. Pregnant women with AIDS or HIV should be very cautious in order to prevent a secondary infection that would be hard to treat.
Oral Contraceptive - Any synthetic steroid that is similar to the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and is taken orally by regular doses to prevent pregnancy. Oral contraceptives alter the woman's hormonal balance, which prohibits ovulation to prevent pregnancy from occurring.
Oral Reflex - A normal reflex that is elicited when the corner of the mouth of a newborn infant is touched. The bottom lip lowers on the same side and the tongue moves forwarda nd toward the individual's finger.
Oral Sex - Sexual contact between the mouth or tongue and the genitals. Licking the vagina is fine, but it is not safe to blow air into the vagina during pregnancy. Forcing or blowing air into the vaginal and urethral areas is very dangerous and can cause an embolism (bubble of air) to develop, which could be fatal for the mother and/or the baby. There is no danger to the baby from swallowing semen, as long as your partner is free of disease. If your partner is HIV-positive, it's not safe because the virus is present in semen, and the woman and her baby could become infected if it is swallowed.
Orchiopexy - A surgical procedure in which a male's undescended testicles are pulled into the scrotum from the abdomen. The surgery is generally performed by a pediatric surgeon before the child is two years old.
Orchitis - Inflammation and swelling of one or both testicles. Pain is often present. The condition can lead to infertility or decreased testosterone production.
Organogenesis - The development of the body's organs during the fetal period.
Orgasm - An intense sensation that occurs at the climax of sexual excitement that is accompanied by rhythmic muscle contractions followed by release of sexual tensions. An orgasm is usually accompanied by ejaculation in men and a gush of vaginal fluid in women.
Orgasmic Dysfunction - A condition in which a female is unable to experience an orgasm after prolonged sexual stimulation and adequate lubrication. The dysfunction can be either primary or secondary. Primary orgasmic dysfunction occurs when the female has never experienced an orgasm and secondary orgasmic dysfunction occurs when the female is unable to reach an orgasm after being able to do so in the past.
Ossification - The hardening of soft tissues, such as ligament or cartilage, into bone.
Osteocranium - The skull of the fetus after ossification has begun.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta - A disorder that affects approximately 1 per 30,000-70,000 live births. The genetic disorder involves the bones and is also called brittle bone disease. There are four different types of the condition, each with their own exact symptoms. Patients with the disorder have fragile bones that are easily broken or fractured. Sometimes, infants with the condition will have broken bones before they are born. Other symptoms of osteogenesis imperfecta include hearing loss, shorter statures, a bluish-gray tint of the sclera in the eyes, dental complications and respiratory abnormalities. In severe cases, a small rib cage may be present and the lungs are not developed properly. Infants with severe cases usually have a difficult time breathing and can die after birth from respiratory complications. Because there is no cure available, it is critical that parents and caregivers learn how to decrease the chances of bone breakage. Careful handling and positioning of the newborn and toddler are critical in the early years of life. Most doctors recommend supportive shoes and leg braces. Physical therapy is another option that may be able to help the child reach their full physical development.
Outlet Forceps Delivery - The medical use of forceps to assist in a vaginal childbirth when the fetal scalp is visible at the entrance of the vagina without separating the labia, the fetal skull has reached the pelvic floor and the fetal head is at or on the perineum.
Ovarian Artery - The artery that branches from the aorta and supplies blood to the ovaries in females.
Ovarian Cycle - The recurrent sequence of events that takes place in the ovaries, including production and release of the egg, in response to hormone activity.
Ovarian Cyst - A benign or malignant fluid-filled growth on an ovary. Common symptoms of an ovarian cyst include pain during sexual intercourse, painful menstrual periods, abnormal bleeding, nausea, low back pain, weight gain and abdominal pain. Treatment involves watching the cyst to see how it develops and/or changes and surgery to remove the cyst.
Ovarian Fibroma - A hard, solid gray-white tumor that is usally associated with an accumulation of noninflammatory fluid around the lungs and in the abdominal cavity. The tumor is not cancerous and does not have the potential to become cancerous. Ovarian fibromas can become very large and may be removed via laparascopic measures.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome - A life-threatening complication that can occur as a result of ovarian stimulation. The exact cause is not known, but women with PCOS, high estrogen levels and those using hCG are at an increased risk of developing the condition. Varying levels of pain, and abdominal swelling will occur as a result of the disorder. Feeling bloated is also a common symptom. More severe cases may include electrolyte imbalance, enlarged ovaries, edema, low blood pressure and an excessive accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.
Ovarian Pregnancy - An ectopic pregnancy that has implanted itself in the ovary. Because of the potential effects of the condtion, this type of pregnancy must be terminated.
Ovarian Remnant Syndrome - An uncommon condition in which ovarian tissue is left in the pelvic cavity after the ovaries and fallopian tubes have been removed. Any tissue that is left behind has the potential to form cysts, which will lead to pain.
Ovarian Reserve - A term that is used to determine the health and quantity of a woman's eggs. Each woman is born with a set number of eggs and the number and quality decreases as the woman ages. The quality of a woman's eggs directly affect probability of conception.