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Search thousands of pregnancy and birth related topics in the largest free pregnancy encyclopedia on the net. |
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease - A severe congenital form of immunodeficiency that is characterized by failure of T and B lymphocyte functions and deficiency of lymphoid tissue. The thymus gland generally does not develop during fetal development and is caused by a defect of the lymphoid stem cells. Because of recurring infections, death usually occurs within the first year of life.
Sex Assignment - Assigning a newborn infant's gender at birth as female or male when the baby has been born with ambiguous genitals. In cases that the sex can not be assigned immediately after birth, additional tests, procedures and evaluations will be performed to evaluate internal sex organs.
Sex Chromosome - A chromosome that has a major role in determining the sex of an individual. Normally, females have two X chromosomes and males have one Y chromosome and one X chromosome.
Sexual Abuse - A form of abuse in which an individual is involved in sexual activity that they do not fully understand or in which consent is not given. Forms of sexual abuse includes incest, sexual molestation, rape, sodomy and exhibitionism. Some types of sexual abuse may be nonphysical, which includes innapropriate phone calls, internet messages or indecent exposure. Sexual abuse is punishable by law and social services will investigate any reported or suspicious cases.
Sexual Assault - Forced, manipulated or coerced sexual intercourse against the will of the victim. Rape is generally carried out by force, intimidation, deceit or impairment of the victim's senses. Physical damage inflicted upon a female during rape includes bruising of the cervix or vagina, swelling of the labia and tearing of the anus and/or perineum. Emotional damage, aversion to sex, anxiety and fear can also be caused from an attack.
Sexual Intercourse - Sexual activity in which the erect penis of a male is inserted into the vagina of a female where climax or orgasm occurs in atleast one participating individual.
Sexual Sadism - A psychosexual disorder in which the infliction of physical or psychological pain on another person is the only way or the preferred means of attaining sexual excitement.
Sexually Transmitted Disease - A disease that is spread through intimate sexual contact., which includes vaginal sex, oral sex and anal sex. A sexually transmitted disease can also be spread from one infected person to another individual by the use of IV drugs, childbirth, a blood transfusion and breastfeeding. Using a condom during any type of sexual contact is the best way to protect against the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Sexually Transmitted Infection - Infection spread through intimate sexual contact., which includes vaginal sex, oral sex and anal sex. A sexually transmitted infection can also be spread from one infected person to another individual by the use of IV drugs, childbirth, a blood transfusion and breastfeeding. Using a condom during any type of sexual contact is the best way to protect against the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
Shake Test - An amniotic fluid test to detect risk of respiratory distress syndrome in the fetus. The test is performed by taking a sample of amniotic fluid and placing it in a test tube with saline and ethynol. Once the saline and ethynol have been added to the amniotic fluid, it is shaken for 15 seconds and placed upright for 15 minutes. If a ring of bubbles forms on the surface of the solution, fetal lung maturity is indicated. If no bubbles are present, varying levels of respiratory distress syndrome is indicated.
Shaken Baby Syndrome - A form of child abuse in which a baby is violently shaken, dropped, thrown or otherwise inflicting trauma to the head, causing the brain to bounce against the skull. This is generally the effect of a frustrated parent of caregiver. Because of the extreme damage that can occur, the condition is often fatal or can cause ifelong disability from neurological damage. Symptoms of the condition include retinal hemorrhage, skull fractures, bleeding in the brain, swelling of the brain, lethargy, difficulty breathing, irritability, rigidity and the inability to focus.
Shawl Scrotum Syndrome - An inherited disorder that is characterized by wide spaced eyes, front-facing nostrils, a broad upper lip, a malformed scrotum, flat feet, short stature, joint laxity and overly extensible fingers. The disorder is passed to offspring as an X-linked recessive trait. Other common symptoms include slight to moderate mental deficiency, droopy eyelids, delayed eruption of teeth, undescended testicles and broad thumbs and big toes. Surgery may be necessary to correct facial abnormalities.
Sheehan's Syndrome - A dangerous after effect of extreme blood loss during or after childbirth. Because of the blood loss, permanent underproduction of pituitary hormones occurs. Common symptoms of the condition include inability to breast-feed , weight loss, hair loss in the pubic region, fatigue, wrinkling of the skin, cold intolerance and infrequent or absent menstruation.
Shirodkar's Cerclage - A transvaginal surgical procedure used for the treatment of an incompetent cervix in which a suture is placed submucosally around the cervix at the level of the internal os.
Shoulder Dystocia - Difficult labor that is caused by the inability to deliver the shoulders of the fetus, even with medical interventions. The main causes of shoulder dystocia include an infant with a large body compared to that of the head, a postterm pregnancy, maternal obesity and diabetes mellitus.
Show - A classical sign that labor is drawing near. Represents expulsion of the mucus plug that has filled the cervical canal during pregnancy. It begins in early labor as the cervix begins to dilate and efface to prepare for delivery. A bloody show can also be caused by sex or an internal examination.
Siamese Twin - A rare phenomenon in which a pair of identical twins are born with their bodies joined at some point. Many conjoined twins are born stillborn because their particular condition was incompatible with life. Common joining parts include the head, buttocks, hips or back. Surgery to separate conjoined twins can be relatively simple or extremely complex, depending on the point of attachment.
Sickle Cell - An abnormal crescent-shaped red blood cell that is seen in individuals with sickle cell anemia. The characteristic shape is caused by the presence of varying proportions of hemoglobin S.
Side Effect - An undesired effect of a medication that may range in severity from barely noticeable, to uncomfortable, to dangerous. Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, dry mouth, anxiety and diarrhea.
Side-Lying Position - A breastfeeding position in which the mother lies on her side while the baby is pulled tightly towards her body to nurse, while facing one another. This is a common position for breastfeeding during the night or while napping. It is also favored by mothers that have had cesarean sections because it takes the pressure off of the incision wound.
SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The unexpected and sudden death of an otherwise healthy infant during sleep. During an autopsy, no disease or evidence of foul play is noticed. SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants aged 2 weeks to one year of age. Smoking is a leading cause of SIDS, as is the child being placed to sleep on their stomach.
Silastic Band - A nonreactive rubber band that is used for closing each fallopian tube as a procedure for female sterilization. The ring is placed around a 2-3 cm segment of fallopian tube, after being drawn inside a narrow cone-shaped applicator. Because the closed segment is deprived of blood, it will eventually turn into scar tissue.
Silver Nitrate - An antiseptic that is used in the eyes of the newborn to help prevent blindness from certain STDs. The medication is not commonly used anymore and erythromycin is more common.
Simian Crease - A major crease across the entire palm of the hand that is frequently seen in individual's with Down syndrome.
Single Umbilical Artery - A birth defect that affects approximately 1 out of 100 live births and is the most common defect of the umbilical cord. A typical umbilical cord has two arteries and one vein.
When one artery stops growing or when the primoridial umbilical artery does split, simgle umbilical artery can occur. One artery is capable of supporting a pregnancy to term, so the disorder does not pose a threat directly to your developing baby. However, there are other birth defects that your child may be more likely to inherit because of the single umbilical artery.
Approximately 25% of babies that have single umbilical artery will have other abnormalities. These can include heart defects, gastrointestinal abnormalities, central nervous system complications, urinary tract complications and trisomy 13 or 18.
Healthcare providers can diagnose the condition after an ultrasound examination shows one artery that is large with only two vessels visible.