Family health A-Z - B

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A period of a few days or weeks from around the third day following delivery when hormonal upheaval and the impact of new motherhood can cause tearfulness and mild depression. Not to be confused with postnatal depression or puerperal psychosis. (See also ‘postnatal depression’ and ‘puerperal psychosis’.)

A two-way walkie-talkie-type device which enables parents to listen in on their sleeping infant. Some features lights which illuminate if there is any disturbance in the baby’s room, enabling parents to switch the sound off or down.

Bacterial vaginosis is a common condition of the vagina caused by an overgrowth of various bacteria and is usually treated in pregnancy with antibiotics to prevent complications.

Balanitis is inflammation of the head of the penis (the glans), caused by a bacterial infection, most commonly Candida albicans, which is also responsible for thrush. The foreskin may be affected too.

A thick, moisture-proof cream used in the prevention and treatment of nappy rash, so called because it forms a barrier between the baby’s skin and the irritation of a soiled nappy.

Also known as the Triple Test, this is a blood test offered at around 16 weeks of pregnancy to assess the risk of Down’s syndrome in an unborn baby.

Active pushing during labour.

Also known as: Co-sleeping

Sharing a bed with your baby or child.

Also known as: Nocturnal enuresis

Bedwetting that occurs during the night, when a child is unaware that it is happening or has happened. A common occurrence during toilet training as the child gradually learns bladder control, and isolated incidents are not uncommon up to the age of eight.

Ultraviolet (UV) lamp used in the treatment of newborns with pronounced jaundice.

A reddish-yellow pigment that is a constituent of bile.

The vagina

A written record of how expectant parents wish labour to proceed, which should be given to the medical team in advance of labour.

A coloured mark that forms on, or just below, the surface of the skin, and is either present at birth or appears soon after. The medical term for a birthmark is a naevus.

A method of assessing the factors influencing ease of induction, or how readily an expectant mum will go into labour after induction.

The term for a fertilised egg around seven days after fertilisation has taken place, when it has developed into a ball of about 100 cells.

Inflammation of the skin around the edges of the eyelids, which can result in a stye if the area becomes infected. Commonly occurs as part of seborrhoeic eczema.

Blood pressure is checked regularly at antenatal appointments to screen for pre-eclampsia.

A urine dip test is performed at all antenatal appointments, as the presence of sugar in the urine can indicate the onset of gestational diabetes. (See ‘gestational diabetes’.)

A blood sample is taken at an expectant mum’s booking-in appointment (see ‘booking-in appointment). This will reveal her blood group, as well as her rubella (German measles) immunity status. Additional blood tests may be offered to screen for the likelihood of certain chromosomal abnormalities including Down’s Syndrome, especially if a woman is considered to be at high risk.

The first antenatal check is known as the booking-in appointment, and presents an opportunity for the midwife team to take a full medical history, and for the expectant mum to ask questions about antenatal care.

A pre-walking mobility technique employed by some babies instead of conventional crawling, whereby they shuffle themselves along on their bottoms in a sitting position. It is a perfectly normal stage of development.

Abbreviation for ‘blood pressure’.

Mild, irregular contractions felt by some women in the weeks leading up to labour. These indicate that the uterus is getting into practice for the big day

Minor bleeding which may occur at the time of a pregnant woman’s normal menstrual period. This is because normal hormonal activity is not always completely suppressed by pregnancy hormones.

An attention-seeking behaviour sometimes employed by young children – often accompanying a tantrum – whereby the child holds his or her breath until their face turns grey-looking, almost to the point of fainting. No harm can come to a child who practises this somewhat manipulative technique, as normal body reflexes kick in before there is any possibility of danger.

A breathing monitor, also known as an apneoa alarm, which alerts you if your baby stops breathing.

When a baby is lying head-up, bottom-down in the uterus. A persistent breech position may result in an emergency Caesarean delivery.

Viral infection causing Inflammation of the bronchioles, which are the smallest airways in the lungs. Most common in babies under a year old. Requires prompt medical attention as it can cause breathing difficulties.

Inflammation of the membranes that line the larger airways leading to the lungs, which presents as a dry, hacking cough which turns to a productive cough. As with bronchiolitis, medical attention is urgent if there are breathing difficulties

A drug used in the treatment of asthma, which works by relaxing the bronchial passages, causing them to widen. Usually administered by inhaler or nebuliser.

Inflammation of the lungs as a complication of bronchitis. A fever and breathing difficulties characterise this condition, which requires prompt medical attention.

Usually a baby’s chin is tucked into its chest for delivery, so that the back of the head leads the way down the birth canal. This is known as a brow/face presentation.

Also known as: Chloasma

A temporary discoloration of the skin, usually on the face, which sometimes affects pregnant women. Also known as the ‘mask of pregnancy’. The patches are dark in women with light skin and light in women with dark skin.