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Lightening
Lightening When the fetus descends into the pelvic cavity. In first-time mothers, usually occurs two to four weeks before delivery; women who have already givenbirth usually don't lighten until they begin labor.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Fetus
The stage of human development from 10 weeks' gestation until birth.
Cavity
A hollow place or hole within the body.
Delivery
See drug delivery.
Labor
The process of childbirth, in which the rhythmic contractions of the uterine muscles open the cervix and allow a baby to be born.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Light chain
The light chain of immunoglobulin is a structural feature that occurs in two forms: kappa and lambda.
Lightness
The perception of reflectance. Related to the perception of an object's surface.
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
Lay midwife
A lay midwife has experience with childbirth, but lacks medical training.Only a few states allow lay midwives to practice, and then only at home births.
Layette
The complete wardrobe of clothing and equipment needed for a newborn infant.
Lead poisoning
When lead, most often from old, peeling paint, is ingested and damages thebody. In high doses, lead causes severe brain damage in children; in smallerdoses it can slow a child's physical growth, cause learning disabilities,and damage the kidneys.
Leg cramps
Common at night during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, these painful cramps in the calves have beenlinked to a shortage of calcium and an excess of phosphorus.
Lice
Tiny wingless insects that feed on human blood, most often on the scalp. Spread by skin-to-skin contact and by sharing clothes, combs, and bedding.
Lightening
Linea nigra
The darkening of the linea alba, the hard-to-see white line that runs downthe center of the abdomen to the top of the pubic bone, during pregnancy. Pigmentation changes usually fade after delivery.
Liver problems
The organ responsible for producing key proteins and other chemicals which regulate the chemistry of the blood. Potential liver problems range from hepatitis to jaundice.
Lochia
Vaginal discharge made up of mucus, blood, and tissue that continues after delivery for up to six weeks. Usually bright red and as heavy or heavier than a period in the first few days after birth, then gradually tapering off.
Low birth weight
When a full-term infant weighs less than 5.5 pounds at birth. Nearly seven of every 100 newborns are low birthweight babies; most of these cases are linked to cigarette, alcohol, or drug use during pregnancy and can be prevented.
Lumbar puncture
A procedure in which spinal fluid is drawn from the spinal column to check for diseases, including meningitis.
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