Family health A-Z - L

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The period of time between the loss of the mucous plug or the waters breaking and a baby’s delivery. (See also ‘first stage’; ‘second stage’ and ‘third stage’.)

A relaxation and breathing technique for reducing the stress and pain of labour.

Downy, protective hair that covers a baby in the womb and may still be present at birth, especially in premature babies. It is shed spontaneously as a baby matures.

A fetus whose size exceeds the expected development rate – this may indicate a miscalculation when dating a pregnancy

Laryngitis is the inflammation of the tissues of the larynx – the voice box which joins the back of the throat to the windpipe - leading to a sore throat and hoarse voice. In children it is usually caused by a viral infection.

The last menstrual bleed before pregnancy, the first day of which is used as a starting point for calculating the expected date of delivery (EDD).

Medically referred to as amblyopia, lazy eye is a condition of early childhood where vision does not develop properly in one eye, although it can occur in both eyes. Lazy eye affects about 1 in 25 children, may have no obvious physical symptom and is often undiagnosed until a child’s first eye test, when visual disturbances are picked up.

Leukaemia is the name for a number of cancers of the white blood cells which, when healthy, fight infection in the body, and accounts for around a third of all childhood cancers.

Another name for sex drive. This can increase or diminish in pregnancy – either reaction is normal.

Also known as: Head lice

Minute, grey-brown, wingless insects which live on blood sucked from the scalp of humans. Their eggs, which look like tiny white specks similar to scurf, are known as nits and they are laid close to the scalp all along the hairline, and stuck fast with a sticky substance produced by the lice. The medical term for an infestation of head lice -particularly prevalent in schoolchildren - is ‘pediculosis’.

Also known as: Engagement

The point at which a baby’s head drops, head-down, into the pelvis in readiness for birth. This usually happens at around week 36 of pregnancy and is also known as ‘lightening’.

A vertical dark line of pigment which appears during pregnancy, running from the pubic bone to upwards over the abodomen. More noticeable in some women than others.

Bleeding from the vagina that occurs after giving birth and may last for up to six weeks, gradually changing in colour from fresh, red blood to a brownish discharge.

Also known as: Tetanus

A serious, acute, infectious disease caused by a certain bacteria entering a cut or wound -also called ‘lockjaw’ - in which the muscles of the body, particularly those of the jaw, contract in painful spasms. Tetanus can be fatal, but is rare in the UK because of the immunisation programme.

Also known as: Hypermetropia

Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below 35°C (95°F). Babies can very quickly become hypothermic, the symptoms including being unusually quiet and refusing to feed – although these will follow having been exposed to cold. Medical help should be sought. Meanwhile, action can be taken to warm the infant by degrees, including close cuddling and gradually adding layers of clothes or blankets.

Puncture made into a specific space in the lumbar region of the spine to withdraw cerebrospinal fluid for analysis, or to inject anaesthetic drugs. Mainly performed to confirm the diagnosis of meningitis. Also known as a ‘spinal tap’.

Glands in the body which trap infection and foreign material by acting like a sieve. The lymphocytes in the glands (or nodes) produce particular antibodies that help to fight infection and provide immunity against infection.

The interconnected system of spaces and vessels between body tissues and organs by which lymph circulates throughout the body.