9781422288221

Words t o Unders t and

amniocent es i s : A medical procedure in which a nee- dle is inserted through a pregnant woman’s ab- domen and into her uterus to take a sample of the fluid that surrounds the growing baby. Tests are performed on the cells in the fluid to learn about the baby’s health. f etus : In humans, the unborn child from the end of the eighth week after conception until birth. f ami lial: Relating to a family. DNA : The molecules within each living cell that contain the ge- netic codes which dictate the characteristics of that organism. genet ic: Of or relating to the information carried in the genes. quot ient : An amount or measurement. s t igmat ized: Branded as disgraceful, worthless, or something to be looked down upon. dis cr imi nat i on: Prejudice or unfair treatment. cogni t i ve: Relating to mental processes such as thought, aware- ness, reasoning, perception, and judgment. dev elopment al: Relating to growth or development. hypothy roidism: When the thyroid is underproductive. thy roid: A gland in the neck responsible for producing hor- mones (chemicals that affect the body’s growth and functioning). epilepsy : A term given to conditions in which a person’s brain gives off irregular and uncontrolled electrical impulses result- ing in seizures (altered consciousness and/or jerking contrac- tions and relaxations of the body’s muscles). symmet ry : Where two halves of something are mirror images of one another. Normally, the human face is fairly symmetrical— the right eye matches the left eye, the right side of the mouth is the same shape as the left side of the mouth, etc.—but some kinds of intellectual disabilities can cause a person’s face to appear “lopsided,” lacking symmetry. apnea: A condition where a person (often a baby) stops breath- ing for short periods of time. hyper t ens i on: High blood pressure. tox emi a: An abnormal condition that can occur during preg- nancy where the kidneys fail to filter out toxic substances, al- lowing them to pass into the mother’s bloodstream. placent a prev ia: A condition where the placenta (the organ that connects a fetus to the mother’s uterus) is placed over the cervix (the opening from the uterus into the vagina). It can cause dangerous blood loss for the mother, and it can also re- tard the baby’s growth or make the baby grow abnormally.